Journal
- Tuesday, April 16, 2024
The Black Keys have secured the No. 1 Current Rock Album and No. 1 Current Alternative Album in US sales following the release of their new album, Ohio Players, last week. The album also is the highest debut of the week on Billboard’s Top Rock Albums Chart and Top Alternative Albums Chart, at No. 5 on both charts, and has reached No. 4 on Overall Current Album sales and No. 26 on the Billboard 200. Internationally, Ohio Players is the band’s sixth consecutive top 20 album in the UK, as well as top 20 in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, and Switzerland, among others.
Journal Topics: Album Release, Artist News, Reviews
- Friday, May 18, 2018
Brad Mehldau Trio's new album, Seymour Reads the Constitution! , is out now. The pianist and his longtime trio—drummer Jeff Ballard and bassist Larry Grenadier—perform three Mehldau originals combined with interpretations of pop songs (Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson), jazz tunes (Elmo Hope, Sam Rivers), and the American songbook (Frederick Loewe). "This is sumptuous, collective improvisation of the highest order," exclaims The Arts Desk's five-star review. "It's so good, it sounds effortless ... Gorgeous."
Journal Topics: Album Release, Artist News, ReviewsFriday, May 18, 2018
Thomas Bartlett and Nico Muhly's Peter Pears: Balinese Ceremonial Music is out now. The album is nine songs written by the duo plus three gamelan transcriptions by ethnomusicologist Colin McPhee that inspired the songs. Bartlett and Muhly play pianos and keyboards on the album, and Bartlett sings, joined by others on strings and metallic pitched percussion. Bartlett and Muhly perform from Peter Pears at LPR in NYC on May 24, National Concert Hall in Dublin on June 6, and LSO St Luke's in London on June 8.
Journal Topics: Album Release, Artist NewsFriday, May 18, 2018
Lake Street Dive stopped by MPR's The Current while in St. Paul to perform a sold-out show at the Palace Theater. They spoke with host Mac Wilson about the new album Free Yourself Up and performed three songs from it: "Good Kisser," "Hang On," and "Doesn't Even Matter Now." You can watch videos of the first two performances here and listen to the complete session at thecurrent.org.
Journal Topics: Artist News, Radio, VideoFriday, May 18, 2018
Olivia Chaney performs in Jimi Hendrix's bedroom in London … Timo Andres plays in Brooklyn … Devendra Banhart headlines LTDOMX in Mexico … David Byrne, Fleet Foxes, Rhiannon Giddens, Lake Street Dive continue US tours … Richard Goode plays solo in London … Emmylou Harris is in Austin … Tigran Hamasyan performs in Italy … Kronos Quartet performs in UK … Audra McDonald is in California … Brad Mehldau Trio concludes European tour … Joshua Redman joins Brooklyn Rider … Chris Thile hosts Live From Here from Atlanta … and more ...
Journal Topics: On Tour, Weekend EventsThursday, May 17, 2018
Still Dreaming, the new album from saxophonist and composer Joshua Redman, drummer Brian Blade, bassist Scott Colley, and trumpeter Ron Miles, out next Friday, May 25, is streaming in full till then as an NPR First Listen. The album was inspired by the band Old and New Dreams, of which Joshua Redman's father Dewey was a member and which had an all-star lineup of Ornette Coleman collaborators. "The rhythmic undertow in this band feels true to its inspiration, as does the airtight-yet-relaxed rapport between Redman and Miles," says NPR's Nate Chinen.
Journal Topics: Album Release, Artist News, RadioThursday, May 17, 2018
The latest issue of BBC Music Magazine is out now, including reviews of three new Nonesuch releases: Steve Reich's Pulse / Quartet ("poignant, intoxicating"), John Adams's Violin Concerto ("expansively beautiful, dazzling"), and Brad Mehldau Trio's Seymour Reads the Constitution! ("the art of the trio").
Journal Topics: Artist News, ReviewsThursday, May 17, 2018
David Byrne, whose birthday was earlier this week, was given a special gift by Choir! Choir! Choir!. The group, through which directors Nobu Adilman and Daveed Goldman lead singers and non-singers alike to participate in a mass sing-along, dedicated its latest gathering in Toronto to Byrne's birthday, performing "Everybody's Coming to My House," from his new album, American Utopia. Grab a piece of cake and enjoy the performance here. Byrne joined Choir! Choir! Choir! in NYC to perform David Bowie's "Heroes" earlier this year.
Journal Topics: Artist News, VideoWednesday, May 16, 2018
Lake Street Dive is on NPR's World Cafe, discussing and performing two songs from the new album Free Yourself Up—"Good Kisser" and "Musta Been Something"—plus "Saving All My Sinning," from 2016's Side Pony. Host Talia Schlanger says: "If you've heard any of the original music they make, you know they take all the most fun bits of pop, soul, disco, jazz, rock and roll and stitch them together into something all their own." Hear the session here.
Journal Topics: Artist News, RadioTuesday, May 15, 2018
Olivia Chaney has released a new track, "Roman Holiday," from her forthcoming album, Shelter, due June 15. She has also released a new video of her performing the song, filmed by Matthew Edginton. You can watch it here, and download the new song, along with the previously released track "IOU," when you pre-order the album. Chaney will celebrate the release of the new album with performances in London and NYC in June.
Journal Topics: Artist News, VideoTuesday, May 15, 2018
Mandy Patinkin has shared a video of pianist/producer Thomas Bartlett and him rehearsing "I Have Found My Happiness," one of three songs on their new recording, Diary: January 27, 2018, written by Faroese singer/songwriter Teitur. You can watch the video here.
Journal Topics: Artist News, VideoMonday, May 14, 2018
Congratulations to Lake Street Dive, whose new album, Free Yourself Up, has debuted at No. 4 on the Top Album Chart and No. 8 in the Billboard Top 200 Chart—a first for the band, with their highest sales week to date. The band's last album, 2014's Side Pony, debuted at No. 11 on the Top Album Chart and No. 29 on the Billboard 200.
Journal Topics: Album Release, Artist NewsFriday, May 11, 2018
Congratulations to Rhiannon Giddens, who has won her first Songlines Music Award, for her latest album, Freedom Highway, in the Americas category. The winners were announced in the June issue of the magazine, on sale now. Songlines gave Freedom Highway four stars when it was released, calling the title track "the closing triumph to a wonderful set."
Journal Topics: Artist News
