Mathew Houck, better known as Phosphorescent, came straight from Athens, Georgia to The Borderline in London carrying on the tour to promote his latest opus “Pride”, who earned Houck the gong for best Americana at this year’s Robers
La Cotorra Criolla: El R&B alcanza un nuevo record de chabacaneria con Riskay
¡¡Aaah!!, la magia de la música popular, siempre objeto de duras críticas por inducir a mentes jóvenes e impresionables hacia comportamientos depravados. Ya sea el rock and roll que fuera saludado como la música del diablo; el rap, censurado como responsable de fomentar la violencia callejera o el Bakalao por promover el consumo de estupefacientes (¿esta sí, esta no?), ejemplos sobran a lo largo de la historia.
La mas reciente polémica en ciernes, llega a través del relativamente conservador genero del R&B, la popular música urbana, más preocupada de patrocinar el consumo de marcas de lujo con la eterna promesa de un estilo de vida sexy, a través de los (generosamente) voluptuosos contorneos de estrellas como Mariah Carey o las vulgares piruetas de Fergie, da otra vuelta de tuerca en zafiedad y desatino, encontrándose a punto de fomentar un curioso hábito entre una nueva generación: el olisqueo genital.
Scarlett Johansson sings Tom Waits: First impression
It has been the toast of the blogosphere for quite a while, Scarlett Johansson is releasing a whole album full of Tom Waits covers. The glamourous star had a few musical attempts before, but nothing of this scope. David Sitek of TV on the radio produces. David Bowie adds some backing vocals on two of … Read more
Listen to Madonna’s good album “shocker”
MADONNA feat. JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE & TIMBALAND-4 minutes
After the huge disappointment that was her much advertised going back to disco roots in “Confessions on the dancefloor” and some terrible moments that arrived afterwards, like the ballad she penned specially for the Live Earth fiasco –acoustic pollution reached new heights thanks to it-, everybody thought Madonna’s career was starting its natural decline. But in another display of heavy weaponry, at 50, she’s back with a new album, her last ever for Warner after a lucrative tour/merchandising/record deal with concert promoter Live nation, anticipated by the rather good duet with Justin Timberlake “4 minutes”. And, luckily enough, it is an excellent one.
La Cotorra Criolla: Bertin vuelve a las rancheras. Las rancheras (y las discograficas) huyen despavoridas!!
Hacia mucho tiempo que el bueno de Bertin no amenazaba al mundo con sus machadas, digo intentonas discograficas. La obra del otrora idolo de mujeres de mediana edad y despistadillos emocionales en general, relegado ultimamente al mundo de los programas de variedades televisivos en faceta de presentador, siempre se situo en el reverso tenebroso de la academia, provocando espanto y estupor a partes iguales; pero despues de que alguno de nuestros miembros recibiese el siguiente mail en su buzón, no podiamos por menos que hacernos eco de la noticia. Total, es por “una buena causa”:
Portishead preview new album Live
Impressive seven tracks live from their already acclaimed new album “Third” , exclusively on Current TV for your audiovisual delectation. Just when the band has reached London with their tour and after playing at the Hammersmith Apollo last week are now going to Brixton Academy (17-04). The video sees the Bristol trio in remarkably good … Read more
The Cheapskate: Björk Tribute; R.E.M. show; Matador Sampler and Music TV Online
“Gran Ganga” comes again packed with freebies, beginning with the new offering in Stereogum’s series of tributes to classic albums. After “OK Computer” and “Automatic For The People” now is the turn to pay respect to Björk’s second solo album “Post”. Among the bands gathered for the occasion, Liars give a noisy rendition of “Army Of Me”; Dirty Projectors apply their chamber pop antics to “Hyperballad” with a great deal of success; and No Age, Atlas Sound, Xiu Xiu, Evangelicals and Spanish sensation El Guincho give their best shots to the rest of tracks. The album is free to download at Stereogum’s popular blog.
Sinphonola Easter Special: IV-Something Blue
PORTISHEAD-Machine Gun
We may be stretching our sinphonola special a bit too much, in order to make it fit in the meaning of the tradition, now it’s the turn of “Something blue”. As the obvious would be reviewing blues-induced music and there are not that many things that catch our attention coming from that genre at the moment, will have instead an overlook to the dark, the drone and the melancholic. Starting by Portishead “Third”album. Dark and melancholic, with a touch of krautrock, is already being hailed as a masterpiece. New single “Machine gun” and other tracks like “The Rip” can be found online.
Sinphonola Easter Special: III-Something borrowed
GNARLS BARKLEY-Run (Watch Out: Not apt for epileptics!!)
To carry on our traditional wedding tick list theme, the third installment of our sinphonola is about “Something borrowed”; artists that depend partially or heavily on something external. It can be a sound; a tribute; an unusually strong influence; a cover; collaboration; a superproducer, etc.
Gnarls Barkley, the lunatic duo formed by Cee-Lo Green and Danger Mouse, who has just released their second album, aptly titled “The Odd Couple” borrow Justin Timberlake for a cameo in their new and spectacular video for first single “Run”. Unfortunately their use of stroboscopic lights (or something like that) to form op-art patterns made it dangerous to watch for people suffering from epilepsy, therefore many music channels in the world have refused to play it.
Sinphonola Easter Special: II-Something Old…
BABY DEE-Small Wonder (Live @Teatro Calderón, Madrid)
The second instalment of our Sinphonola Easter Special focuses in the old and the veteran; some familiar names and faces that return and things we had already seen or heard but somehow they got a second chance for exposure. And we begin with Baby Dee, the transgender multi-instrument player, already in her fifties, whose old fashion cabaret songs have captured the attention of the most renowned gay (and straight) artists around. Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Antony Hegarty, Marc Almond and a long etc, collaborate in Dee’s last album “Safe Inside The Day”, one of the most nicely crafted records of the year so far.
Sinphonola Easter Special: I- Something New..
DENGUE FEVER-Seeing Hands
Our symphonola is going on a well-deserved Easter break. But to keep you entertained during the ocious holiday time we are putting together a special edition looking at all those records that are already making an impact in 2008, or the ones about to. Starting with the fresh talent, new names hoping to turn into household ones. Like Dengue Fever, the Cambodian residents of LA, who sound like a cross between a New wave act and an Oriental wedding combo. Their second album “Venus on Earth” was released a few weeks ago and is worth checking.
“Gran Ganga” The Cheapskate: Free Radiohead and Alela Diane gigs; Sigur Rós film; SXSW Torrent; etc.
ALELA DIANE-The Pirate’s Gospel
Our “Gran Ganga” comes back loaded with all sort of exciting freebies for all of us cheapskates. This month: a whole cartoon series; a feature film, a new found lost track from one of popular music’s most influential bands ever and the usual array of listening parties, mixtapes and free online and real live shows.
+Beginning with Alt-folk vocalist Alela Diane, who is in London playing tonight at Bush Hall the gorgeous compositions included in her debut collection “The Pirate’s Gospel”. She will be also performing a free live set next Friday’s during lunchtime at Rough Trade East shop, probably to thank them for choosing her album as the best of 2007. Next to favorites like “The rifle”, we hope to hear some new songs from her forthcoming second opus, expected later this year. Some of them are already circulating online.
La Cotorra Criolla: El imparable triunfo internacional de El Guincho.
Kieeser Chips Sucks!! El Guincho Rules!! Video Promocional
Desde que las navidades pasadas, las listas del lo mejor del año del rockdelux nos lo descubrieran, El Guincho no ha parado de seducir a propios y extraños con su disco “Alegranza” (Que puede ser escuchado una mitad en la página myspace del artista y la otra en la página de su sello). Ese primer impulso al ser destacado como segundo mejor disco nacional le ha valido a Pablo Díaz-Reixa para rápidamente hacer crecer una reputación que sale ya de nuestras fronteras y va de camino a convertirle en el artista español independiente de mayor éxito internacional de la historia.