Music Reviews
Ravi Shankar, acclaimed Indian musician, dies at 92
By Kapila Fernando, K. Ratnayake, Peter Symonds, December 20, 2012
What was unique about Ravi Shankar was the breadth of his interests, willingness to experiment and passion for making classical Indian music available to the world.
Death Grips’ No Love Deep Web: A terminally destructive message
By Zac Corrigan, December 13, 2012
Death Grips are a trio from Sacramento, California, composed of vocalist MC Ride (Stefan Burnett), percussionist Zach Hill and producer Andy “Flatlander” Morin.
Jazz musician Dave Brubeck dies at 91
By Hiram Lee, December 10, 2012
A significant figure in postwar American culture, Brubeck’s classic 1959 album Time Out sold a million copies, the first jazz album to hold that distinction.
Elliott Carter (1908-2012) and the crisis of contemporary music
By Fred Mazelis, December 6, 2012
American composer Elliott Carter reflected the trajectory of Western classical music in the past century.
Nirvana’s Nevermind re-issued by Sony/Universal
Assessing an American pop icon
By Nick Barrickman, December 5, 2012
In late 2011, a re-mastered edition of the seminal album Nevermind by pop-punk band Nirvana was released, marking the work’s 20th anniversary.
Oddisee’s Traveling Man: Globalized society through the lens of a hip hop artist
By Nick Barrickman, November 7, 2012
Traveling Man is a collage of 24 instrumental compositions created by the artist while he stayed in the given locales—mainly large metropolitan areas around the world.
Antibalas: War, social crisis meet intricate musicianship
By Jeff Lusanne, October 16, 2012
A new, self-titled album by Brooklyn-based afrobeat band Antibalas offers a welcome blend of exciting, skilled musicianship and socially critical lyricism.
Singer Nick Lowe in Louisville, Kentucky
By Hiram Lee, October 1, 2012
British singer-songwriter Nick Lowe performed in Louisville, Kentucky, last week, the fifth stop on a fall tour of the United States.
The enigma of Shostakovich’s Leningrad Symphony
By Verena Nees, September 12, 2012
A memorable concert took place 70 years ago when Dmitri Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony was performed in the city of Leningrad, which had been besieged by German troops for more than a year.
Music review: Replica from Oneohtrix Point Never and James Ferraro’s Far Side Virtual
By Zac Corrigan, September 4, 2012
Oneohtrix Point Never’s Replica and Far Side Virtual from James Ferraro have much in common: both albums were released in the autumn of 2011 by prolific experimental musicians from New York.
100 years since singer Woody Guthrie’s birth
By Clement Daly, August 28, 2012
This year marks 100 years since the birth of American folk singer Woody Guthrie. The anniversary has become the occasion for commemorations and conferences held throughout the US, as well as the opening of a new museum and archive.
Searching for Sugar Man: Detroit musician connects with mass audience in South Africa
By James Brewer, August 27, 2012
An amazing story documents the popularity of the music of Sixto Rodriguez in South Africa, music virtually unknown in the US.
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