The spirit of unrest was all but absent at the U Street Music Hall Saturday night. It was the type of fight and protest you would expect from the band called Chopteeth Afrofunk Big Band. The group, inspired by the music of Fela Kuti, brought the same type of musical urgency the Afrobeat pioneer was known for.
The opening act was Alma Tropicália, a psychedelic Brazilian pop band based in DC. Inspired by the ’60s art movement for which they are named, the band draws most of their inspiration from Os Mutantes. The crowd was gleeful mix of footloose adults, energetic children, and world music buffs.
As lead vocalist, Elin, sauntered across the stage, Alma Tropicália’s sunny mixture of samba, dream pop, and progressive rock kept the dance floor steadfast with positive energy. They were joined by local percussionist Alejandro Lucini and Zé Maurício, who is based in New York.
Paul Nelson was a personal writer. He had the ability interpret musicians’ inner workings, insecurities, and ego-centrism. Prior to his death in 2006, Nelson had been a force that propelled the early careers of the New York Dolls, Bob Dylan, and Bruce Springsteen, to name just a few.
Brooklyn-based author Kevin Avery has assembled a tribute to Nelson’s life and work with Everything Is an Afterthought: The Life and Writings of Paul Nelson, from Fantagraphics Books. It’s equal parts biography and anthology, shedding light on the influential writer.
Mr. Avery took sometime out of his schedule to chat with us about the book and rock criticism as shaped by Paul Nelson.
Tell me a little bit about the book and why you decided to document Nelson.
I used to read his work when I was a teenager. Growing up in Salt Lake City, I used to subscribe to Rolling Stone and the Village Voice and read all of the major rock writers at that time, but there was something about Paul’s writing that always just struck a chord with me. I followed his writing for several years, and then in the early ’80s he kind of disappeared, but I never forgot his writing.
I knew he had been working at a video shop, Evergreen Video in the Village for 14 or 15 years. So, in 2005, I wrote him a letter there and suggested that we work together, and I never heard back from him. In July of 2006, a good friend of his, Michael Seidenberg, called to tell me a couple of things, first to tell me that Paul had passed away a week or two before and to let me know that Paul had indeed received my letter, that he had been very touched by it, and it was something that he indeed wanted to do, but he just was really not in any shape physically or emotionally at that time.
So, that was pretty much the day I started to work on the book, and the more I found out about Paul’s personal life, it very quickly morphed from an anthology into a biography/anthology.
Sound the trumpets and pass the barolo! Ennio Morricone continues to make music at 83!
I’ve been a fan of Ennio Morricone’s for over 10 years. It all started with the blaring war cry from the beginning of the 1966 Burt Reynolds vehicle, Navajo Joe. And then I discovered the spaghetti western. But Morricone’s meta extends beyond Leone, Eastwood, and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Vinyl lovers will attest to his greatness.
With the rise of vinyl sales and online dealers, Morricone’s music can make sound Easter egg fodder as you search for his original compositions or remixes. He’s worked with DC-born disco singer, Amii Stewart (Le Professional, Bulworth) and Joan Baez (Sacco e Vanzetti). Morricone music has a double life in the world of vinyl and digital.
The musical lexicon of Rex Riddem and Mustafa Akbar is vast, and local business around DC have some of their tunes to show forth. As Nappy Riddem, the duo has made their mark in the homegrown DC music scene. With their own unique flavor, the Fort Knox Recordings prodigies have officiated a mass marriage of turntablism, soul, funk, and world music here in the District. That’s why Listen Local First (LLF) honors them.
Listen Local First is a musical initiative responsible for DC Local Music Day. The monthly event which began yesterday, November 9, will showcase Nappy Riddem’s funky sets along with the music of seven local artists at participating businesses. On Facebook, you’ll find more on how this new model inks a harmonious treaty between commerce and the arts.
Nappy Riddem’s latest outing is a grand palette of ’60s soul, hip hop from the 2000s, and everything in between. Otis Redding enters the set with “Try a Little Tenderness,” a sad yet sexy plea for the lady almost lost. Rex’s fiery percussion sets the narrative aflame with allusions to General Johnson and the Showmen. Insert “Cupid,” Sam Cooke’s lovesick declaration, and you have certainly entered the Riddem domain.
Twenty years ago one of the best dance recordings was “Now That We Found Love” by Dwight Arrington Myers, better known as Heavy D. On Nov 8, the influential rapper and producer who emerged in the late 80s, died in Beverly Hills, Calif. from a cause undetermined. He was pronounced dead Tuesday afternoon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He was only 44.
Heavy D with his group, the Boyz, made their debut in 1987 with the album Living Large. The albums neatly packaged sound was ushered by veteran rapper/producer Marley Marl along with rising star beatmaker Teddy Riley. Known for his cat-like moves on the dance floor despite his large frame, Heavy D’s music was the heart and soul of parties across the nation. He also re-personified sex appeal so for once the big guy had a shot of getting the girl.
Not a single iota of Laurie Anderson’s creative energy falls by the wayside. Since her beginnings in the New York art scene, every note, every brushstroke, every word, has become some part of her body of work. She once created a unique way to play vinyl records, too.
Through November 19, Ms. Anderson has a new multimedia show, called Forty-Nine Days in the Bardo, running at The Fabric Workshop and Museum in Philadelphia. The exhibit includes drawings, sculptures, projections, and sound made from media such as mud, foil, iron, chalk, and ashes. Laurie been engaging with her fans quite a bit lately on Facebook about this innovative show.
Ms. Anderson was gracious to take a moment out her schedule to chat with us about her vinyl playing inventions, her beloved dog reborn, her tenure at NASA, and what defines the art market.
Your artwork has included some unique vinyl playing inventions, particularly the viophonograph. Can you tell me a little bit about that?
Yeah, that was really like the first scratching instrument. I designed it in 1975. I just really love records. I wanted to sort of play the record player live, so I made this violin. It had a battery-powered turntable on it and a needle mounted on the bow in the middle. It played just 8 sustained notes per band, so you could scratch around. It sounded really intense, but it went through records really quickly. It’s a really great instrument that never caught on, I have to say.
You’re alone in the dark, and the only voices of reason you have are your thoughts. Don’t be fooled; darkness is not a place of solitude. Sounds that are ordinarily mundane, like a dripping faucet or a creaky wood floor, become amplified, grabbing your undivided attention. If you’re devoid of light for too long, these sounds might completely betray you.
Welcome to the sadistic and moribund world of Halloween. Below we’ve compiled a list of song with lyrics and situations that will make you look behind your back and perhaps leave you scared shitless.
Megadeth – Go to Hell
Don’t fear the reaper? That’s nonsense when your soul is wagered on a game of eternal blackjack. The Charon, the ghastly oarsman that shepherds souls, bears little comparison to the fateful entity that has dominion over the realm of fire and brimstone. Uncorrupted minds everywhere: if you hear Dave Mustaine’s verses, rebuke them immediately. Or damnation will be upon you.
In just one single chord, Loretta Lynn’s musical legacy has made its way to another generation of honky tonk lovers. At the 9:30 Club this past Saturday night, alongside a stage full of southern gents, the Coal Miner’s Daughter sang a mix of country, gospel, and everything in between. Her influence resonated throughout a jam-packed house of fans.
For Ms. Lynn, music is a family affair, the nuclear and the adopted musical one as well. Her daughter, Patsy Lynn, named after Patsy Cline, introduced the show with her mother’s accomplishments. Ms. Lynn has a career that spans over 100 albums, Patsy touted. Then Patsy’s twin sister Peggy entered the stage with their mother’s tune “You Don’t Have to be a Baby to Cry.” Their brother Ernest, a prankster with a classic drawl, entered center stage next to reminisce on the late Conway Twitty, a frequent Lynn collaborator. Ernest has golden voice of his own. He sang a popular tune of Twitty’s, “Slow Hand.”
Ed. Note: We are saddened to hear of the loss of Steve Jobs tonight, who made such a difference in technology and music as we know it. We are reposting this playlist in his memory. Rest in peace, good sir.
It was somewhat telling of a shift in our musical tastes when the Economistreported a surge in vinyl record sales earlier this week. Now, Steve Jobs—chairman, CEO, and co-founder of Apple Inc.—announced his resignation yesterday. Apple’s inventive and sometimes controversial revenue model for music sales has, in some ways, created an atmosphere for a noticeable comeback of vinyl records. Since most new vinyl records these days come with free digital downloads, consumers can have the best of both worlds.
The consumer electronics industry, like the music field, can be a revolving door when it comes to personnel. As Steve Job bids farewell to the empire he fashioned, here are seven of my favorite Apple commercial tunes and themes that have had a life in the vinyl format.
1.“Chariots of Fire” by Vangelis – 1984 Macintosh introduction
While not technically used during a commercial, Jobs first introduced the Macintosh to the world with “Chariots of Fire.” You can’t tell me this song has never passed through your mind while running in P.E. or trying to catch a bus. The Greek-born composer’s theme to one of the 20th century’s ultimate buddy films fits so well with Jobs’ first commercially successful personal computer.
Sylvia Robinson may be gone, but her legacy and influence continues like a looping sample.
Yesterday, September 29th, Ms. Robinson—the “Mother of Hip Hop music” and producer behind “Rapper’s Delight” and “The Message”—died of congestive heart failure. She was 75 years old. Ms. Robinson had craftily recycled her career—from singer to record company executive—and stayed relevant into the present, contributing to a subculture that now dominates pop music.
Robinson, born Sylvia Vanterpool, was born in New York City in 1936. By the time she was 14, Sylvia’s progressive vocal range had already reached maturity. At the time, she was student at Washington Irving High School. Despite her age, Robinson begin making records thanks to a staffer at Columbia Records. Her first hit in the early ’50s was a collaboration with swing trumpeter and band leader Hot Lips Page.
Last Thursday, a real party went down at IOTA Club and Cafe in Arlington, Virginia. Those who were there were touched by the spirit of Bob Marley. For those who missed it, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt because somewhere and sometime soon Junior Marvin will put on a show you can’t miss. You can’t sleep on it.
Junior Marvin was one of the original members of Bob Marley and The Wailers. Many members of the band have died, but Marvin’s show carries the special message of unconditional love through roots reggae music and his late colleagues who helped fashion it.
Marvin is a guitarist with a penchant for sound. When the band came on stage it took very little effort to give Marley’s roots reggae a contemporary slant.
Junior Marvin is guru-like. He read auras like the Sunday paper, but he has an aura himself that draws appeal. And he’s got talent, to boot. In between rehearsals, the legendary guitarist talked to me about his early days with British soul artist Steve Winwood. Marvin also talked about the time he had to make the pressured decision to choose between Bob Marley and Stevie Wonder. That’s rough!
Tonight, Junior Marvin will perform at IOTA Club and Cafe in Arlington, VA. He’ll be joined by special guests Trevor Young and Kenny Bongos (of SOJA). Spread love.
Now, before you were jammin’ with Bob Marley you played with Steve Winwood.
I grew up in England, and I was very good friends with the guys of the group Traffic: Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood, and hung out with those three guys at Chris Wood’s house. All night. We played flute, sax typically. We wrote a lot of songs. [Later] Steve and I worked together on his first solo album, Arc of a Diver.
When were you first considered for The Wailers?
[In late] 1976, there was a shooting incident in Jamaica; Bob Marley and his band were shot at. Luckily no one died. Bob and Don Taylor, The Wailers’ manager, were injured and recovered. However, Donald Kinsey, an American blues guitar player with The Wailers, was so freaked out by the whole scene that he left the band. Blackwell and Bob were desperate to find a guitarist, someone as good as Kinsey and Al Anderson, who also disbanded from the group.
Chris Blackwell, the owner of Island Records, heard me playing on Steve Winwood’s album and thought I would be perfect for The Wailers. It all began [for me] Valentine’s Day, February 14th, 1977.
I tell my friends to go see Thunderball all the time.
They all ask the same thing, “What kind of music do they play?” I respond, not giving a sliver of a hint, “It’s something you have to witness for yourself.”
Only the music devotees take my advice.
Thunderball’s musical style can’t be categorized. I’ll spare the hyphens because there aren’t enough in the world to describe them. Since their debut in the late ’90s, the group has morphed and taken new forms. Historically, the group reinvented melodies and arranged motifs, paying homage to ’60s spy and ’70s blaxploitation films. Thunderball doesn’t let the modern fall by the wayside either. The trio blends the old and new well.
The District’s Columbia Heights is becoming a haven for a lot of a music, art and other self-expression. And with a solid Latin foundation, Fort Knox Recordings is shining new light on a well-established sound—by way of the Empresarios. The DC-based Latin fusion band will showcase their new effort tonight at The Dunes in Columbia Heights.
And I’ll make it plain—after gyrating to the Empresarios you’ll have a novel appreciation for those perico ripiao buskers on 14th Street (if you haven’t already).
Empresarios | Bailando
The Bestia EP is the follow up to Empresario’s debut album Sabor Tropical. Bestia is a continuation of the band’s wizardry in blending funk, Caribbean and Spanish rhythms. Consider “Bailando,” a Cuban-influenced dance-pop track. The horns are relentless and the beats are revved up for those who like burn rubber on the dance floor.
I’m not ashamed to admit that I didn’t get it when I first heard Liftoff’sSunday Morning Airplay.
But after the second listen, the effect was more… surreptitious. I had Saint Etienne dreams of chillwave proportions. The band is a new collabo of Steven Albert, Steve and Johnna Raskin (of Speedy Consuela), and Thievery Corporation’s Rob Myers. Together they don’t just create sounds; instead, they lay out rich soundscapes that recall the aforementioned Etienne, Calexico (by way of Ennio Morricone), and Portishead.
http://fortknox.bandcamp.com/track/marshmeadows
Airplay has a musical storytelling approach that glides between Spaghetti Western motifs and dreamy sunshine pop à la The 5th Dimension. This may sound like an odd combination, but it’s been experimented with before. Damon Albarn once mixed American roots music with Michael Nyman’s orchestral compositions (the Ravenous Soundtrack). Morricone spent decades adding pop themes to old western concertos. Though it’s its own unique sound, Airplay is part of this melodic stream of consciousness.
