Enchanting New Artist

In my quest to find new musical people of various genres of music I have come across another person whom I consider to be a bit of a gem.

Laura Gibson

Not really sure how to classify this one, so I won't. If you dig Colon Maloy (lead singer of the Decemberists) at all, this is sort of in that vein. In fact she opens for him on a regular basis and they are featured on each other's records.

You can check out her HUSH records website here, and her myspace page here. There are also some Youtube videos of her (particularly of her opening up for Colin).

enjoy!

An Evening of Another World

I had the great opportunity Saturday night to go see some live music downtown. Thanks to Kris Tiner, who never fails to bring in great artists for his Metro Galleries series, and also never fails to deliver a stunning performance himself. Saturday night opened with Kris and Chris Schlarb, a guitarist from Long Beach, playing some absolutely mesmerizing reflective music with Trumpet + Electronics/Guitar + Effects. After buying one of Chris' albums Interocean by his group I Heart Lung (featuring Kris Tiner as well as many others) and listening to samples of his Twilight I was hooked. It is really beautiful and introspective music and really allows the listener to be sucked into its timelessness. He has also done some beautiful music for a new video game called Night Game coming out on the Wii this fall. You can check out some video of the game and Chris' music here.

Second set was done by returning artists Jeff Kaiser and Stuart Leibig. Jeff on Trumpet + Electronics and Stuart on Contrabass Guitar + Effects. It was a very interesting set and was a very natural flip side of the first set. This set had much more bite to it and an intensity of sound that just can't be rivaled. Jeff really seems to have a control over his gear and how far he can push it that is quite amazing. Stuart had such a command of what he was doing with a sea of floor pedals and effects boxes etc... that it was amazing just to watch him work his feet and occasionally hands, all over the many buttons and knobs and dials to make some really interesting foundations and even grooves for Jeff to work off of up top. It really was a night of contrasts.

I don't really listen to much electronic media and it is always a treat to hear it live and watch the musicians manipulate their equipment. I think that is something that is a little lost when listening to this kind of music on CD. And occasionally the musicianship gets covered up with the novelty of gadgets and buttons. It is a fine line, that not many are willing to tread. Kris has a really interesting approach to it that I think more people should take into consideration when venturing into the electronically manipulated sound world.

Keep bringing in those artists Kris! Thanks!

Take A Lesson

My father found this album a while ago and has lent it to me for my enjoyment. It is really an amazing project that has been a long time in the making and I must say, it creates a fantastic experience.

The Playing For Change project has two identities. Number one they have set out to unite the world through music, this album being the first culmination of that idea. They have spent four years traveling the world recording musicians from everywhere, and I do mean everywhere. So even though most of the musicians on any given track have never met, they are now part of the same ideas. Featuring songs by Bob Marley, Peter Gabriel, Bob Dylan, Sam Cooke and many others, including some originals for this album. It is a really interesting product and I recommend highly.

The second part of Playing For Change is the foundation to build music schools for children around the world. Most recently they have just finished a music school in the Congo. During which they recorded "Talkin' Bout A Revolution" by Tracy Chapman with some local musicians involved in getting the school off the ground.

I applaud these efforts for musical unification, and I applaud the results of this collaboration from hundreds of musicians from all over the world. It is a great example of good music coming from good people, even if they are thousands of miles apart.

Enjoy!

Radiohead Arrangements (yikes)

A few months ago I was asked to do some arrangements of a couple of Radiohead tunes for small chamber ensemble. 

They are somewhat a mix of what is on the record and the arrangements done by Christopher O'Reilly for solo piano

The concerts went well and the arrangements got a really good response and I finally got the recordings so here they are.

Paranoid Android

Subterranean Homesick Alien

I hope they aren't too sacrilegious.

Enjoy!

Another New Artist

Here is another new artist (well, new to me) for your sampling. If you are one of those people who tend to enjoy things of a minimalist nature (especially when they attempt to avoid all the normal minimalist pitfalls) this might be an artist for you.

James Blackshaw

He is a guitar player (most often 12 string, which is really nice) who writes some interesting minimalist textures, most often for himself on guitar and piano (someone else on piano, he doesn't have four arms), which is a pretty nice combination, often using some kind of drone instrument or technique. All in all, I find it soothing and creates many of those moments that I enjoy that makes time become irrelevant to your existence, which is my preferred state of mind.

There are some interesting YouTube videos of him here, you can sample his music on his Myspace page and there is a pretty nice interview with him on Pitchfork (which, incidentally is a pretty nice site for perusing.)

He has several albums you can check out.

Many people don't enjoy these kinds of textures, and I understand that, and have been criticized for enjoying this stuff, but there is just something about it that makes me happy and calm. Steve Reich puts me into a trance, if that makes any sense at all.

in any case, check him out... ENJOY!

New Artist

If at any point in the musical spectrum you fall down on the folk side of things you should check out this young artist. Barely 18, just graduated from high school this young guitar/banjo/mandolin player and sultry singer has already made herself a name around the folk world and hopefully will continue to do so. Really nice tight songs, beautiful vocal lines and some really great lyric work.

you can check out some of her performances on youtube.

She also does a really nice cover of The Decemberist's "Shankill Butchers" as well as a really interesting rendition of Tom Waits' "Come On Up To The House".

Enjoy!

Metempsychosis for Sale

Metempsychosis is now for sale at ThatNewMusicWebsite

If you don't know what that is, check it out. It is a very interesting idea created by Christopher Brubaker. You can upload PDF files of scores and sale them for whatever you deem them worth. You can also upload papers and recordings etc... 

An interesting idea that seems to be doing quite well, so I thought I would put up a piece and see what happens. 

Twangy Africa

I just discovered recently that Bela Fleck has a new album, Throw Down Your Heart. In 2005 he went to various regions of Africa to study and discover the origins of the Banjo, which, it turns out, is an African instrument by birth. While there he discovered some amazing musicians and played with them and recorded with them and came up with some very interesting music. Really amazing stuff.

 

Also, he is touring with Toumani Diabate with his Kora June 11-19 and also August 3-8. The tour doesn't come close enough to me for me to be able to see it, but man that would be something to see... and hear.

you can check out the website for the African project here

David Hykes

I recently discovered this very interesting gentleman. David Hykes is a long time composer-singer from New York that helped spur the contemplative music scene back in the mid-70's and is still going at it with his Harmonic Chant and his Harmonic Choir.

He has a pretty cool website that gives some interesting bits of info about himself as well as his connections with many spiritual leaders and many different festivals and programs and so forth. I have been really into this sort of meditative, transportive music lately. (which, funny enough, spurred from a long bout with listening to nothing but morton feldman, in particular the string quartets). 

anyhow, worth some listening, I have been enjoying several of his CD's lately... they are available at Amazon and other fine conglomerate retailers.

Enjoy

An Event

If you happen to be in the Modesto/Turlock area in Northern California I have two upcoming performances featuring Metempsychosis as well as two Radiohead arrangements I did for small chamber ensemble (Fl, B. Cl, Marimba, Pno, Vln, Vcl). This concert is at CSU Stanislaus and there is an earlier performance on April 4th at the Deva Cafe in Modesto California.