Journal
- Monday, April 29, 2024
"Alynda Segarra is a great singer and songwriter who is also a keen observer of what's really going on out there," eTown host Nick Forster says of his guest, aka Hurray for the Riff Raff, "including struggles and oppression and injustice and drug addiction and also love and dancing and friendship and nature. It's another beautiful journey." Segarra made their debut on the show this weekend, accompanied by Johnny Wilson to perform songs from the new album The Past Is Still Alive and more, including a finale of "Midnight Special," with fellow guest Peter One. Segarra also spoke with Forster about their life, the new album, and more. You can watch the interview and performances here.
Journal Topics: Artist News, Radio, Video
- Monday, January 25, 2010
To support relief efforts in Haiti, Wilco is offering two of its performances from last year as free downloads to anyone who makes a minimum donation of $15 to Oxfam or Doctors Without Borders. The two shows are last summer's show at KeySpan Park in Brooklyn, New York, and the fall show at the HMV Forum in London.
Journal Topics: Artist NewsMonday, January 25, 2010There's just one day left before the release of The Magnetic Fields' latest Nonesuch release, Realism, and that means two things: the fourth installment of the five-part video series about the new record (today revealing which room in the house offers the best acoustics for recording) and the CD release party, which the band hosts at New York's Beauty Bar tonight. All are welcome; admission is free. The Independent names Realism its CD of the Week.
Journal Topics: Album Release, VideoFriday, January 22, 2010Chris Thile's Mandolin Concerto gets its California premiere ... Carolina Chocolate Drops concludes the first leg of its US tour ... Bill Frisell Trio plays the Pacific Northwest ... Richard Goode plays Bach, Haydn, Schumann in San Francisco ... Glenn Kotche joins Bang on a Can All-Stars at Emory ... NPR's Fresh Air remembers Kate McGarrigle ... Brad Mehldau performs two solo sets in California ... Stephen Sondheim revisits his alma mater, Williams College, to talk with Frank Rich ... and more ...
Journal Topics: On Tour, Reviews, Weekend EventsFriday, January 22, 2010Orchestrion, Pat Metheny's adventurous new "solo" recording, is out now. The Guardian calls it "Metheny's most ambitious experiment," one the Star-Ledger says has paid off: "The chiming, undulating result feels organic and joyous." All About Jazz would agree, calling it "not just an unqualified and unequivocally successful experiment, but as one of the most innovative and compositionally profound albums of his career."
Journal Topics: ReviewsFriday, January 22, 2010Rokia Traoré's latest Nonesuch release, Tchamantché, was released in early 2009 and made a lasting impression, finding its way to year-end best-of lists, including that of the New York Times's Jon Pareles, who remarked on Traoré's "preternatural grace." She now prepares to take her music on the road, as she announces a spring tour of the United States and the United Kingdom set for April and May.
Journal Topics: On TourFriday, January 22, 2010Today we bring you the third of a five-episode video series about The Magnetic Fields' forthcoming Nonesuch release, Realism. In this latest segment, Sincerity Is an Odd Duck, band members Stephin Merritt and Claudia Gonson continue their conversation about the new record, examining the oft-pondered notion of fact vs. fiction in Stephin's lyrics. The Guardian gives Realism four stars, citing its mix of "withering put-downs and gorgeous tunes."
Friday, January 22, 2010As reported yesterday in the Nonesuch Journal, Natalie Merchant is set to make her Nonesuch debut with the April release of Leave Your Sleep. Tonight, fans in the UK can catch Natalie on the inaugural episode of the new BBC arts and culture discussion television program The Review Show, which airs live on BBC Two at 11 PM. She'll be the show's first music guest. Next week, Natalie performs live in Dublin and Glasgow.
Journal Topics: On Tour, Artist News, TelevisionFriday, January 22, 2010The Carolina Chocolate Drops' Nonesuch debut, Genuine Negro Jig, is set for release in the UK this Monday, January 25, one day before the band launches the UK leg of its current tour. The US release has now moved up one week, to February 16. The Times of London gives the album four stars, as does the Guardian, saying the band is "sounding as fresh and enthusiastic as ever ... They are well worth checking out."
Journal Topics: Album Release, Artist News, ReviewsThursday, January 21, 2010Natalie Merchant is poised for the release of Leave Your Sleep, out April 6 [update: now April 13] on Nonesuch Records. This release is the culmination of seven years’ research and collaboration and is, in Merchant’s words, “the most elaborate project I have ever completed or even imagined.” A two-disc set, Leave Your Sleep is a collection of songs adapted from poems selected by Merchant and featuring musical collaborations with a broad spectrum of artists.
Journal Topics: Album ReleaseThursday, January 21, 2010Earlier today, Nonesuch.com launched the second of five videos featuring a lively conversation between The Magnetic Fields' Stephin Merritt and Claudia Gonson, discussing their forthcoming Nonesuch release, Realism. Now that you've heard a bit about the album straight from its creators, you can listen to Realism in its entirety in the exclusive album premiere on MySpace.
Journal Topics: Album Release, WebThursday, January 21, 2010Earlier this week, the Nonesuch Store introduced an exclusive offer for orders of Recollection, k.d. lang's forthcoming career retrospective: a limited-edition signed photo of k.d., available for the first 500 orders of the album. The deluxe edition of Recollection includes three CDs plus a DVD of music videos and live performance footage. Now at nonesuch.com/media, you can preview some of the unforgettable sights and sounds featured on the DVD.
Journal Topics: VideoThursday, January 21, 2010Yesterday came the first in a five-part series of videos unveiling Realism, The Magnetic Fields' forthcoming album. Today, in the second episode, L.A.: A Folk Heaven, Stephin Merritt and Claudia Gonson explain why recording the new, folk-inspired album in Los Angeles made perfect sense. Drowned in Sound rates the album an 8 of 10, lauding the band's "Eternally Great Pop Songs"; The Quietus interviews Merritt about those songs.
Journal Topics: Video