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Archives / 2008 / December

  • Genesis' Peter Gabriel era marks year's best box set

    Dec 30 2008 7:14 PM

    While casual fans can easily download early Genesis singles like "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)" or "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway," those who truly want a taste of when Peter Gabriel led the group can turn to the exhaustive box set 1970-1975 (Rhino). Not only does it comprise digitally remastered versions of every album the group released during that era, but each comes bundled with a DVD featuring exclusive band interviews and achival footage. Despite Phil Collins earning the group the most commerical acclaim, these early collections show the band's progressive rock innovation, indirectly paving the way for today's offshoots (most notably Elbow, Porcupine Tree and even The Mars Volta to a certain extent).

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  • Don't Be Fooled--Slumdog Is No Feelgood Movie

    Dec 27 2008 5:47 PM

    Fox Searchlight pictures is heavily marketing Slumdog Millionaire as a "feel-good" holiday movie.  Working off of the acclaim generated at various film festivals and the adoration bestowed upon it by such critics as the Wall Street Journal's Joe Morganstern, Fox Searchlight is working the project as an inspirational tale, perfect for the year-end filmgoer.  This is deceptive.  Skillful film-making, yes; inspirational, no.

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    Tags: Reviews

  • Have yourself "A Very Special Christmas," just don't buy the DVD!

    Dec 24 2008 9:43 AM

    With Christmas only a day away, sounds of the season are blaring over mall speakers and car stereos like crazy. Chances are tons of those tunes are culled from the compilation series A Very Special Christmas, which started twenty years ago, releasing several volumes of CDs featuring the hottest pop stars of their respective time period. Regardless of the era, U2's cover of "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" continues to stand time's test and get introduced to younger generations each year, though that certainly isn't the case with all the artists. (Anything by The Pointer Sisters is certainly worth skipping).

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    Tags: News, Reviews

  • Why Those Holiday Songs Drive You Crazy

    Dec 22 2008 5:57 PM

    When shopping, does the holiday background music drive you nuts?  Can't tolerate any more "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" or "Blue Christmas" when you're charging away at Old Navy?    You know you’re not a Scrooge at heart—hey, at home you enjoy Sufjan Stevens’ Songs for Christmas, The Roches’ We Three Kings, or even Erran Baron Cohen’s Songs in the Key of Hanukkah.   Instead, your aversion to “The “Jingle Bell Rock” might be because of your discriminating ear and discerning nature.

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  • Callann Lane offers club-infused cover of Madonna's "Holiday" on Christmas collection

    Dec 22 2008 9:53 AM

    She may be played alongside pop princesses like Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift on Radio Disney, but relative newcomer Callann Lane leans much closer to the style of Natasha Bedingfield or even Beyonce on occasion. The singer's first ever holiday project Christmas This Year (an online exclusive via iTunes, Amazon.com and other like-minded outlets) merges impressive originals with bubbly interpretations of familiar favorites, including one tune not normally associated with the season for caroling.

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    Tags: News, Reviews

  • For the Holidays, Songs in the Key of Hanukkah

    Dec 20 2008 7:25 PM

    [caption id="attachment_605" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Yasmin Levy and Erran Baron Cohen"]Yasmin Levy and Erran Baron Cohen[/caption]

    Hidden in the torrent of the year end’s Christmas releases, Songs in the Key of Hanukkah is a sometimes fun and often moving celebration of the Festival of Lights.   The project of Erran Baron Cohen, brother of filmmaker Sasha and music director for The Ali G Show and Borat, Songs is an inspired combination of world music, klezmer, reggae, jazz, rock, rap, etc.   The result is a sound that recalls the Judaic “fusion” movement released over the last few years on Jdub label (Golem, Matisyuha).

     

     

     

     

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    Tags: Reviews

  • Cadillac (Records) Doesn't Need a Bailout

    Dec 18 2008 5:33 PM

    I have not seen the movie Cadillac Records yet, but reviews indicate that its infectious music—remakes of the hits by Chess Records, the movie's subject--overcomes all the narrative inconsistencies of its screenplay.  For the most part, the movie’s soundtrack accurately captures this energy and enthusiasm.

     

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  • Five factors why "Do They Know It's Christmas?" could be the hottest holiday hit in history

    Dec 18 2008 3:08 PM

    Even if 1984 was ages ago, there's not a single holiday season that goes by without "Do They Know It's Christmas?" earning major airplay. For those needing a quick refresher course, it was the brainchild of The Boomtown Rats' Bob Geldof and Ultravox's Midge Ure (two major English acts of the time) who called upon several of their celebrity friends under the banner of Band Aid. All funds from the socially concsious project went straight to African famine relief, helping propell the tune to number one that Christmas and continue just as steadily through today. Here's more proof why the project could very well be the hottest holiday hit in history:

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  • Flaming Lips, Faith Hill and Amy Grant lead list of essential holiday hits of '08 shopping season

    Dec 17 2008 7:27 PM

    Considering a Flaming Lips concert revolves around giant inflatable spaceships, aliens as background singers and an increasingly inventive costumed cast, it's no surprise that the band's DVD/CD set Christmas on Mars (Warner Brothers) is completely off the charts outrageous. This concept collection of sorts may have been seven years in the making, but is one of the most refreshing (despite downright odd) Christmas collections to date, centered around the colonization of Mars with a spacey soundtrack to match.

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  • N.A.S.A. releases Shephard Fairey video

    Dec 16 2008 7:37 PM

    [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44jr_Igu2L8[/youtube]

    The new album from N.A.S.A. will feature a tune called “Gifted,” a hip-hop/electronic collaboration between Kanye West, Lykke Li and Santogold that sounds club-ready with its soulful vocals and boisterous rapping. The album, due out Feb. 17, also features a video directed by visual artist Shepard Fairey (of Andre the Giant fame). You can check it out on the video link above this post. N.A.S.A. (Sam Spiegel and Ze Gonzales) is a collaborative DJ/production duo. Spiegel is known for throwing dance parties in both Los Angeles and his native New York while Gonzales is a former skateboarder who’s become a famous DJ in South America. There’s also a full-length documentary film that includes behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the album and interviews with many of the contributors, include Sizzla, Method Man and George Clinton.

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    Tags: News

  • Sarah McLachlan opening for Lifehouse: Why are radio station festivals so random?

    Dec 16 2008 1:40 PM

    [caption id="attachment_566" align="alignleft" width="106" caption="Sarah McLachlan (Photo By Andy Argyrakis)"]Sarah McLachlan (Photo By Andy Argyrakis)[/caption]

    With the holidays in full swing, many radio stations across the country are hosting multi-band bills to create a mini-festival within a theatre or arena setting. One of the most prominent events of this type is always 101.9FM The Mix's "Miracle on State Street," a fitting title considering the concert happens at the Chicago Theatre (which shares that very address). Though this year's roster was stacked with already established acts and top new talent, why in the world was superstar Sarah McLachlan  stuck opening for the talented but less meaningful in the long run Lifehouse?

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    Tags: Concerts, News

  • Michael Franti releases free song "Barack Obama"

    Dec 11 2008 3:18 PM

    Singer Michael Franti has mixed activist concepts with infectious music for the better part of a decade, dating back to the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy in the early ’90s and then Spearhead in the late ’90s. Now, he’s issued “Obama Song,” a catchy tune with a steady calypso beat that pays tribute to the president elect. Guests on the track include Soliloquists of Sound, Cherine Anderson and Anthony B. “Barack Obama’s making history, man/he’s coming with a message for the people, saying yes we can,” Franti sings while the Soliloquists add some rapping and Anderson croons in the background. It’s a bit ridiculous that the chorus simply consists of Franti repeating “Barack Obama” over and over, but the song has such great energy, it’s hard to hold that against it. Can’t wait to see if Franti performs it live when he starts touring in the new year. The song’s available as a free download at ilike.com/frantic.

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    Tags: News

  • Does Darren Hayes solo sound anything like Savage Garden?

    Dec 11 2008 1:01 PM

    [caption id="attachment_556" align="alignleft" width="133" caption="Darren Hayes live in Chicago 2007 (Photo by Andy Argyrakis)"]Darren Hayes live in Chicago 2007 (Photo by Andy Argyrakis)[/caption]

    Even though Savage Garden had a plethora of pop hits, the band is perhaps best known for ballads like "Truly, Madly, Deeply" and "I Knew I Loved You." Not only do both of those songs get played on the radio pretty much every minute all across the globe, but the duo comprised of Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones continues to expand upon thirty million records sold, despite having broken up at the top of the 2000s. But the front man (Hayes) has been far from silent, releasing three solo CDs, and most recently, the concert DVD The Time Machine Tour (Powdered Sugar).

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    Tags: Reviews

  • Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich: From the red carpet to the slammer?

    Dec 9 2008 9:36 PM

    [caption id="attachment_551" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich on the red carpet for "The Break-Up" (Photo by Andy Argyrakis)"]Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich on the red carpet for "The Break-Up" (Photo by Andy Argyrakis)[/caption]

    Anyone who lives in Chicago is used to seeing Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich hanging around town, whether that be at political appearances, prominent pop culture events or even red carpet premieres like "The Break Up" starring Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn (which was filmed in the Windy City). But this week locals didn't see the leader in nearly as pleasant of circumstances, but rather appearing in court after being arrested in one of the city's largest scandals to date.

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    Tags: Gossip, News

  • Practice (10,000 hours) Makes Perfect

    Dec 8 2008 5:47 PM

    So you want to be a guitar hero? Get ready to rock--alot.

    Malcolm Gladwell's latest book, Outliers, discusses the factors that "make high achievers different."   Although Gladwell's conclusion--environment and era contribute as much to success as intelligence and ambition-- isn't revolutionary or trailblazing, his detailed analysis is often fascinating.

    Gladwell cites a famous study done by musicologist/neurologist Daniel Levitan,  which proposes that a person must practice approximately 10,000 hours--roughly equivalent to three hours a day/20 hours a week of practice over 10 years--before she masters an area or field.   Gladwell applies Levitan's theory to such lives as Mozart, Bill Gates, computer programmer Bill Joy and, interesting for our purposes, the Beatles.  

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    Tags: Reviews

  • Five reasons why "Sound of The Smiths" is a vital title

    Dec 5 2008 1:20 PM

    Just for starters, if it wasn't for The Smiths, bands like Interpol, Franz Ferdinand, Bloc Party and just about every other goth-tinged new wave revivalist wouldn't exist. As a result, it's the perfect time for Rhino to pop out the double disc collection The Sound of the Smiths, which is by far the band's best retrospective to date. Here are the top five reasons to own the latest endeavor, even if it doesn't look like Morrissey and the boys will be reuniting anytime soon:

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  • Jesus Lizard reunites and Touch and Go reissues catalogue

    Dec 4 2008 1:36 PM

    Back in the ‘90s, the Jesus Lizard was one of the best live bands on the planet. In troll-like singer David Yow, the band had a completely unpredictable front man. Playing small clubs, he could often be seen climbing the rafters with a microphone chord wrapped around his neck or straddling the neck of a bouncer. I could never quite figure out what he was snarling about, but his antics never failed to be entertaining.

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    Tags: News

  • The Verve or Ace Enders' all-stars: Whose version of "Bittersweet Symphony" is better?

    Dec 3 2008 7:14 AM

    Out of all the Brit-pop anthems throughout the past decade, none stand out to the iconic degrees of The Verve's "Bittersweet Symphony." These days, the classic cut gets a modern rock revamping with a calvacade from the current class helping out former Early November singer/guitarist Ace Enders and producer Chris Badami (Dillinger Escape Plan, Midtown, Early November). As for that list of all-stars (dubbed a Million Different People in these contexts), expect to hear Mark Hoppus (Blink-182), Matt Thiessen (Relient K), Kenny Vasoli (Starting Line), Craig Owens (Chiodos), Alex Gaskarth (All Time Low), Aaron Marsh (Copeland), Duane F. Okun (Socratic) and Bryce Avery (the Rocket Summer).

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