Introducing Susana Baca
June 30, 2009 by greg
Filed under Featured Tunes, Tunes
Born in Lima, Susana Baca grew up in a small coastal town called Chorillos. Baca describes life in the predominantly Afro-Peruvian barrio as “filled with music.” As a child, she would accompany her mother when she cleaned homes and says that the only way she could keep still was when her mother put on classical music. Her father, who was a driver, was also the barrio’s own street guitarist and would often play outdoors with a group of neighborhood musicians.
While she was growing up, families in Chorillos would often gather in parks for festivals and religious processions. It was at these festivals that Susana found a place to perform, entering dance contests and singing before audiences of familiar faces.
Her main literary influences include writers like Arturo Perez Revete, Alfredo Bryce, Javier Marias and Mario Vargas Llosa. She has a kinship to Vargas Llosa, in the tradition of Peruvian social protest in her understated manner and actions against machismo and racial prejudice—a manner that never becomes propaganda.
This post was submitted by greg.
FREE SONG FROM MY FAVORITE HIGHWAY!
June 30, 2009 by greg
Filed under Featured Tunes, Tunes
My Favorite Highway is kicking off their summer of awesome tours by giving away a free song!
Head over to WWW.MYFAVORITEHIGHWAY.COM to grab the special acoustic version of “Say So” from their new album How to Call A Bluff.
CLICK HERE TO WIN TICKETS TO SEE MY FAVORITE HIGHWAY
WITH THE CAB THROUGH BUZZNET!
This post was submitted by greg.
Wavves : No Hope Kids
New video for Wavves song “No Hope Kids” shot by Pete Ohs while Wavves were touring Europe and simultaneously hanging out at playgrounds, doing email interviews, smoking stuff, drinking other stuff, eating breakfast foods and generally rocking out…having meltdowns on stage, whatever….
This post was submitted by greg.
Eulogies in Studio Session at KEXP! : Bad Connection
Eulogies – Bad Connection (Live on KEXP) from KEXP RADIO on Vimeo.
This post was submitted by greg.
Tuesday is Greg Koons and the Misbegotten RELEASE DAY!!!
June 30, 2009 by greg
Filed under Featured Tunes, Tunes
Greg Koons and the Misbegotten will release their upcoming album, Welcome to the Nowhere Motel via Kealon Records: MRI/RED Distribution on June 30th. Recorded in Los Angeles at Fireproof Studios , the record showcases Koon’s poignant and melodic songwriting. Going all out for this record and making all the right moves, Koons collected a slew of outstanding musicians including: co-producer Matt Keating on piano, organ, and backing vocals, Jason Mercer on bass (Ani DiFranco, Ron Sexsmith), Jordan Richardson on drums (Ben Harper & Relentless 7), Duane Jarvis on dobro (Frank Black, Lucinda Williams), and Kirk Swan on guitar (John Wesley Harding) to bring his lyrical dreams to life. The end result is a breathtaking collaboration of adept music composition. “Making this record has been the most exciting and meaningful experience of my life, Koons explains. I was determined to write an album that was a reflection of the resiliency that I saw in many people that I have met along the way in life, especially those people that wear their elegance on the inside.” The album was co-produced by Matt Keating and Adam Lasus who have worked with bands such as Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah and Yo La Tengo.
This post was submitted by greg.
Anna Ternheim : What Have I Done
Anna Ternheim and Bjorn Yttling’s acoustic performance of “What Have I Done”
This post was submitted by greg.
The Black : Alongside Death Now Streaming!
June 29, 2009 by greg
Filed under Featured Tunes, Tunes
Long overdue new album, Alongside Death, from Swedish cult black metallers THE BLACK is now streaming in its entirety here: http://www.myspace.com/pulverisedrecords.
The stream will be active until July 3, 2009. Alongside Death will be available worldwide on July 29, 2009. Featuring 8 tracks of unholiness, Alongside Death is the band’s first full-length since 1994′s The Priest Of Satan and is an attestation that pure black metal is alive, well and more abhorrent than ever! Featuring members of Tyrant, Eternal Darkness and Vinterland, the long player was recorded, mixed and mastered at Studio Beast in Sweden by Peter Bjärgö (Tyrant, Arcana, Crypt Of Kerberos) with cover artwork and layout by THE BLACK vocalist D.F Bragman.
http://www.myspace.com/officialtheblack
This post was submitted by greg.
Spiral Beach Prepare “The Only Really Thing” For Fall Release
June 29, 2009 by greg
Filed under Featured Tunes, Tunes
Spiral Beach are sonic rebels unafraid of breaking all the rules and throwing a party in the process! The band’s love of exploring different sounds and song structures is offset by their sophisticated sense of melody and elaborate vocal harmonies. They have also re-imagined the format of a concert, making their shows epic blowouts that last until dawn and the band dances and even cooks with the audience! Playing in uncommon venues such as art galleries, community halls, and circus spaces, the group has created a rare interactive live show that has fans and critics itching for more.
Following the enormous success of their album Ball in their home country Canada, Spiral Beach will be releasing their sophomore effort The Only Really Thing this fall. The energetic new album kicks off with the dynamic “Battery,” a postmodern pop/rock anthem that fuses the raw alternative flair of Blondie with a psychedelic beach party. Other standout tracks such as “Domino,” a kaleidoscopic duet of percussion and piano, ensure that you keep your dancing shoes on until the early hours of the morning, while “Shake The Chain” uses a metal chain as its primary instrument to create a gorgeous and richly layered ballad.
Spiral Beach is constantly pushing the boundaries of contemporary music. From their vintage inspired new-wave sound to their unforgettable live shows, they have already conquered their native Canada by playing numerous festivals (including Toronto’s Virgin Festival) and have been praised by outlets such as Much Music and Toronto’s The Edge. With The Only Really Thing, this daring and exhilarating band’s appeal is ready to take over new territory.
This post was submitted by greg.
Amanda Vissell : Sculpture preview at the workshop tomorrow night!
June 29, 2009 by greg
Filed under Featured Geek, Geek
Amanda Vissell writes, “Hello you, this is your good pal Amanda Visell coming to you virtually live through your computing device. Soon Michelle and I will be traveling to Chicago for our new show(s) at Rotofugi Gallery July 10th. We both went a little crazy and switched up the mediums from what we normally work in.
My show Volcanoes For Beginners is all metal sculptures.
(Totally wouldnt have been possible without Jamie Mathis from Fully Visual.)
Michelle’s show SlapHappy is all ceramic.
Los Angeles, since we love you and dont expect to see you in Chicago We’re hosting an in progress private preview at the Switcheroo Workshop. We’re not selling the art, this is just to be able to check it out on the west coast.
So join us Tuesday night 7-10 for some wine and oogling.
Your best friend foreverish,
amanda
P.S-For more info on the pieces in the show contact Kirby…
kirby@rotofugi.com
This post was submitted by greg.
Larry Jon Wilson : Larry Jon Wilson :: Review
June 29, 2009 by greg
Filed under Featured Reviews, Tunes
“Larry Jon Wilson” is Larry Jon Wilson’s first album in nearly 30 years. Where has Larry Jon been for the last 30 years and why would he choose to release an album now? Larry Jon Wilson quit the music business in 1980 but continued to perform and write new material. Upon the urging of some new friends to record an album, Larry Jon Wilson conceded and the results are laid out on “Larry Jon Wilson.”
A lot has changed in the 30 years since Wilson last recorded, but not the directness and openness of his worldview. Larry Jon Wilson sings of whores, losers, growing old and unrequited love on his self-titled album, which was recorded in a Florida condominium with assistance from the Black Swans’ Jerry DeCicca and Jeb Loy Nichols. The recording is spare and the mood is somewhat somber and often times comparable to the style used by Johnny Cash on his American Recordings album. To help flesh out the songs a bit, Larry Jon Wilson received accompaniment via the late Noel Sayre who overdubbed his violin nuances to the songs.
Wilson’s style of guitar playing is quiet and mostly finger picked which never becomes too busy or comes before Wilson’s hearty baritone. “Shoulders” opens the album demonstrating Wilson’s wordplay and fret board prowess. Conversely, Wilson also tackles Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson’s “Heartland” adding a deeper resonance to the plight of the American farmer in these troubled times. Album standouts include the take on Stuart Wright and Mickey Newbury’s “Losers Trilogy” and the sentimental “Me With No You.” “Whore Trilogy’ could be seen as a further examination of the losers that Wilson is fond of but it never feels trite or exploitative. As the album closes on the dire “Where From” Wilson ruminates on the security of relationships past and present as it closes he mentions “It’s not a marshmallow song.”
“Larry Jon Wilson” is a strong album from a talent that has remained dormant for too long. It’s not necessarily a comeback as Wilson would likely state that he hasn’t gone anywhere, we’re just lucky to have found him.
Rating: 
This post was submitted by greg.
