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
- Tuesday, June 3, 2014
The cast recording of David Byrne and Fatboy Slim's Here Lies Love, featuring the original 2013 Public Theater cast of the musical starring Ruthie Ann Miles as Imelda Marcos, earns a nine out of ten from PopMatters. The 2010 song-cycle recording "was a magnificent achievement," exclaims PopMatters, "by turns catchy, clever, and insightful." And still, the newly released cast album "is even better." It "takes one to a wondrous world," says the site, citing Miles's "sumptuous singing," and concluding: "the music is exceedingly seductive."
Journal Topics: ReviewsMonday, June 2, 2014
The Black Keys have confirmed several additional North American tour dates, including shows in Ottawa, Oakland, Sacramento, and Los Angeles as well as additional nights in Brooklyn and Chicago. Special guests during the extensive tour include Cage The Elephant, Jake Bugg, and St. Vincent. The tour begins September 5 in Columbus, Ohio, and runs through December. Pre-sale for newly announced dates begins Tuesday, June 3, at 10 AM local time; general on sale starts Friday, June 6, at 10 AM local.
Journal Topics: On Tour, Artist NewsMonday, June 2, 2014
Concerts and talks of the 68th Ojai Music Festival, of which Jeremy Denk is 2014 Music Director, will be streamed live and archived at the Festival's site, June 12–15. Ojai Live features an enhanced HD five-camera shoot and intermission interviews with artists and special guests hosted by Fred Child of Performance Today. Highlights include talks and multiple performances from Denk, including the world premiere a new opera for which he wrote the libretto, and Timo Andres.
Journal Topics: Artist News, WebFriday, May 30, 2014
Toumani & Sidiki Diabaté close out the Barbican's Explorations celebration of Nonesuch at 50 ... Emmylou Harris, Youssou N’Dour perform on Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, airing on HBO ... Bombino tours Italy ... Kronos Quartet, Dr. John are at Primavera Sound in Spain ... Gidon Kremer, Kremerata Baltica tour Europe ... Brad Mehldau solos in France ... Pat Metheny Unity Group plays Poland ... Conor Oberst tours Midwest ... Joshua Redman is in California ... Rokia Traoré is in the Netherlands ... Sara Watkins is in LA for Watkins Family Hour, Nickel Creek is on NPR's World Cafe ... and more ...
Journal Topics: On Tour, Weekend EventsFriday, May 30, 2014
Caetano Veloso performed at Barbican Hall earlier this week as part of Explorations: The Sound of Nonesuch Records, the Barbican's month-long celebration of the label's 50th anniversary. The concert, featuring songs from his new album, Abraçaço, earned five stars from the Times and Guardian, both of which call it a "masterclass," and The Arts Desk. The Times also calls it "a perfect evening," the Guardian "exquisite." The Arts Desk says: "Caetano Veloso gets more extraordinary." Veloso tours the US this fall.
Journal Topics: On Tour, Artist News, ReviewsThursday, May 29, 2014
Conor Oberst's video for "Zigzagging Toward the Light," off his recently released Nonesuch Records debut album, Upside Down Mountain, premiered via Rolling Stone, which calls the album Oberst's "best work in years." The video was directed by David Altobelli and shot in New York City. You can watch it here. The songs on the new album, asserts a new Wall Street Journal review, "stand shoulder-to-shoulder with his best writing."
Journal Topics: Artist News, VideoTuesday, May 27, 2014
Conor Oberst capped off a week celebrating the release of his new album, Upside Down Mountain, with an appearance on CBS This Morning: Saturday. He was backed by the band Dawes to perform two tracks from the new album: “Hundreds of Ways” and “You Are Your Mother’s Child.” You can watch both, as well as a web-exclusive performance of “Time Forgot” below. Oberst’s tour with Dawes as special guests continues in the Midwest this week.
Journal Topics: Artist News, Video, TelevisionTuesday, May 27, 2014
Natalie Merchant was featured on two radio sessions over the weekend: NPR’s World Cafe Friday, performing four songs from her new, self-titled album, “Lulu,” “Texas,” “Giving Up Everything,” and “Ladybird,” and on BBC Radio 2’s Bob Harris program Sunday, performing “It’s A-Coming” and “Texas” from the album, plus “Kind & Generous,” from 1998's Ophelia. Merchant, says Harris, has “one of the most beautiful and distinctive voices in the whole of rock and pop music.” Hear the Harris session here.
Journal Topics: Artist News, RadioFriday, May 23, 2014
Jeremy Denk, Emmylou Harris continue the Barbican's celebration of Nonesuch at 50 ... Spoleto Festival USA features John Adams's El Niño, works by Steve Reich, Louis Andriessen ... Bombino tours Europe ... Carolina Chocolate Drops play DelFest ... Shawn Colvin, Steve Earle are out West ... Donnacha Dennehy is composer-in-residence with Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra ... Natalie Merchant is on NPR's World Cafe, BBC Radio 2's Bob Harris ... Pat Metheny Unity Group is in Germany ... Conor Oberst plays two nights in DC ... and more ...
Journal Topics: On Tour, Weekend EventsWednesday, May 21, 2014
The Black Keys’ new album, Turn Blue, debuted this week at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart. This is the highest chart debut yet for the acclaimed duo, whose previous album, El Camino, debuted at #2 in 2011. It is also the first #1 album for Nonesuch Records. Turn Blue is also the band’s highest charting album to date internationally, debuting at #1 in Canada and Australia, #2 in the UK and New Zealand, #3 in Ireland, #4 in France and Switzerland and #5 in Austria and Holland. The album also charted in the top ten in Germany, Belgium, Finland, and Portugal.
Journal Topics: Artist NewsWednesday, May 21, 2014
Conor Oberst, who performed songs from his new album, Upside Down Mountain, at Rough Trade NYC in Brooklyn last night, recently stopped by WFUV, 90.7 FM, in NYC to discuss the album and perform three songs from it for WFUV Live: "Hundreds of Ways," "Double Life," and "Time Forgot." You can watch them here. "For someone looking for a primer on the talents of Conor Oberst as a poet and songwriter," says FUV, "one need not look any further than Upside Down Mountain ... [He] has established himself as one of rock’s preeminent creative minds."
Journal Topics: Artist News, Video, RadioTuesday, May 20, 2014
Conor Oberst was musical guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on NBC last night, joined by Dawes to perform "Zigzagging Toward the Light," off his just-released album, Upside Down Mountain. He recently stopped by Last.fm to talk about and perform "Hundreds of Ways" and "Double Life" off the new album. Watch all of these performances and the interview here. The New York Times says: "All of Mr. Oberst’s gifts align on Upside Down Mountain." He can be heard on NPR's World Cafe this afternoon and performs at Rough Trade NYC in Brooklyn tonight.
Journal Topics: Artist News, Video, Television, Radio
