News Roundup: 3/17/2010
-Wed, Mar 17, 2010
A rare live bootleg recording of Led Zeppelin was purchased at a recent car boot sale in England. The item — purchased for just “two or three pounds” — features full-length audio of the legendary rock group’s 1971 gig at St. Matthew’s Baths Hall in Ipswich. The concert was never officially released and only a [...]
A New Twist on Vivaldi
Although many regard Antonio Vivaldi’s cycle of violin concertos The Four Seasons as an “old chestnut,” modern awareness of this set of four concertos only goes back to the 1920s when Gian Francesco Malipiero republished them for the first time since the original 1728 print. Popularized by American violinist Louis Kaufman in the 1940s, they [...]
News Roundup: 3/16/2010
-Tue, Mar 16, 2010
The Dixie Chicks have announced their first concert dates in four years. Interestingly, the announcement arrives several months after the formation of Court Yard Hounds, a country duo featuring Dixie Chick siblings Emily Robison and Martie Maguire. Court Yard Hounds’ summer tour was recently canceled, leading some fans to speculate that the Dixie Chicks will [...]
The Secret History – The World That Never Was
The Secret History has a history to envy. The band was built from the ruins of the much-loved group My Favorite, and carries on the tradition of making records that will be loved to death by those lucky enough to hear them. Unlike My Favorite, which sounded like a perfect blend of icy synth pop [...]
News Roundup: 3/15/2010
-Mon, Mar 15, 2010
Lady Gaga announced that her Monster Ball tour will continue with a 31-date leg that will begin in Quebec on June 28. Gaga expanded the show — which she describes as the first “pop-electro opera” — into an arena spectacle for the European dates she began in February. On top of the already ambitious choreography, [...]
Surf Jazz
The Marketts weren’t a band in the standard sense, but a collection of veteran Los Angeles session players assembled by producer Joe Saraceno to capitalize on the emerging surf music scene of the early 1960s. Loosely known as “the wrecking crew,” and including, among others, guitarists Tommy Tedesco and Rene Hall, sax player Plas Johnson, [...]
The Most Awesomest Video Dance Party Ever!
-Fri, Mar 12, 2010
Let’s get ready for the weekend with some wild & woolly American new wave from the late 70s/early 80s. I don’t know about you but some days I feel like the B-52’s are the best band of ever. It was super cool to find this video of them playing “Rock Lobster” live at what looks [...]
News Roundup: 3/12/2010
Although temporarily barred from appearing on TV, Conan O’Brien will keep himself visible by launching a comedy tour later this spring. One of his final stops is Bonnaroo, where the comedian will likely perform on the festival’s main stage — à la Chris Rock, who appeared in 2008 — to upwards of 75,000 attendees. [RollingStone.com] Following [...]
Hot Damn Jammz 46: Slack by Slackwest
You might have thought that after a week off, we’d come back with the strongest batch of Jammz yet to grace the HDJz. You might have thought we’d scour the internetz for the best looking, best sounding, most wonderfullest groups, bands, and artists we could find. Spare no expense, leave no stone unturned, follow all [...]
Samuel Barber, American Composer
Samuel Barber, one of the leading American composers of the twentieth century, is best known for his Adagio for Strings, but he created a large number of works in a variety of genres that are beloved by performers and audiences. For the celebration of the centenary of his birth, Stephen Eddins examines Barber's legacy and offers samples of some of his most memorable music.