Boris: Smile

"Listening to this Japanese art-metal band feels a little bit like crashing a compact car into a concrete wall: all crunch and confusion. Boris rallies, aggressively, against notions of genre, and its discography comprises a spectrum of different sounds and approaches; the band’s latest, 'Smile' (Southern Lord), is more temperate and melodic than its predecessors, although it’s hardly dinner party fare" (Amanda Petrusich, "Pop and Rock Listings," New York Times, 8/5/10).

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Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 (Glenn Gould, Leonard Bernstein)

"'You are about to hear a rather, shall we say, unorthodox performance of the Brahms D minor Concerto,' Bernstein began, 'a performance distinctly different from any I’ve ever heard, or even dreamt of for that matter, in its remarkably broad tempi and its frequent departures from Brahms’s dynamic indications.' Bernstein then spoke about collaboration. Usually, a conductor and a soloist with interpretive discrepancies manage to 'get together by persuasion or charm or even threats to achieve a unified performance,' he said. But in this case the disagreements were so great, he explained, that he had to make clear he was deferring to Gould. He emphasized, though, that there 'are moments in Mr. Gould’s performance that emerge with astonishing freshness and conviction.' (When you hear those comments today — in the film or on the Sony live recording — Bernstein comes across as tactful and sincere.)" (Anthony Tommasini, "For Glenn Gould, Form Followed Fingers," New York Times, 9/26/10)

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Jimmy Webb: Just Across the River

"In the late 1960s, when he was barely 21, Mr. Webb was showered with Grammys for writing the Glen Campbell hits 'By the Time I Get to Phoenix,' 'Wichita Lineman,' 'Galveston' and the Fifth Dimension’s 'Up, Up and Away.' … If he is an endless storehouse of real-life rock ’n’ roll adventure stories, set mostly in Hollywood and London in the late ’60s and ’70s, part of him is still a wide-eyed Oklahoma country boy agog with wonder at the goings-on in the big city. This country youth is the focus of his new album, 'Just Across the River' (E1 Records), a sturdy collection of his songs, some famous, some not, recorded with a dozen of Nashville’s top musicians and sung by Mr. Webb with guest harmony vocalists like Billy Joel ('Wichita Lineman'), Linda Ronstadt ('All I Know'), Jackson Browne ('P. F. Sloan'), Willie Nelson ('If You See Me Getting Smaller'), [and] Vince Gill ('Oklahoma Nights')" (Stephen Holden, "Finally in Front of His Own Hit Parade," New York Times, 7/18/10).

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The Album Leaf: A Chorus of Storytellers

"What [leader Jimmy] LaValle got was the first Album Leaf album to be realized by a full band. To date, LaValle has typically crafted his moody, aggressively ambient dream pop on his own with minimal studio assistance. When writer’s block halted his progress, he brought in his longtime touring crew — Matt Resovich, Drew Andrews, Tim Reece and LaValle’s former Tristeza bandmate Luis Hermosillo — and jump-started the sessions. LaValle titled the album in tribute to the band’s collaborative nature in the studio. A number of external events [a]ffected Storytellers, not the least of which was LaValle’s wedding, which afforded him some rare and much needed downtime. … While Storytellers is still awash in LaValle’s dark and emotive sonic textures, there is an undercurrent of joy that bubbles up throughout the album, perhaps a combination of the exhilaration of working in the studio with a band and his new wedded bliss" (Brian Baker, "A New Leaf," New Haven Advocate, 8/5/10, p. 36).

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Eclipse: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

"The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to the film The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. It is the third soundtrack in the film's chronology, and was released on June 8, 2010. The soundtrack is once again produced by Alexandra Patsavas, the music director for the previous two films. The track list for the album was revealed in a special MySpace revelation May 12, 2010. The soundtrack debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart behind Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals with estimated sales of 144,000 copies" (Wikipedia).
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Dave Rawlings Machine: A Friend of a Friend

"David Todd Rawlings is a professional guitarist and singer. He is best known as the longtime musical partner of bluegrass singer-songwriter Gillian Welch.
David attended the Berklee College of Music and studied with guitar professor Lauren Passarelli. He is known in his own right as a producer, having produced Welch and bands such as Old Crow Medicine Show. He has recently performed under the billing of 'Dave Rawlings Machine'. He has also contributed to the Bright Eyes album Cassadaga [and] the Ryan Adams album Heartbreaker (which opens with 'Argument with David Rawlings Concerning Morrissey'). … The Dave Rawlings Machine album A Friend of a Friend was released on November 17, 2009. Rawlings recorded the album in Nashville, and produced it himself. Co-writers and musicians on the album include Welch, members of Old Crow Medicine Show, Bright Eyes, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers" (Wikipedia).

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Photo by davegolden, courtesy http://www.brontosaur.us/.

The Best of Miles Davis & Gil Evans

"Evans and his fellow restless innovator, baritone saxophonist/arranger Gerry Mulligan, began planning a new kind of rehearsal band that would capture the sound of the Thornhill band with only nine instruments. … Davis became this nonet's leader, catalyst, and principal soloist. … The resultant 12 sides became renowned as the Birth of the Cool recordings. … But it wasn't until 1957 that Davis and Evans were given an opportunity to expand upon the Birth of the Cool innovations. … The album, Miles Ahead, was a breakthrough for both Davis and Evans. Never before had Davis' lyricism received such an apt showcase. … Included on this disc are five highlights from Porgy and Bess [1958]. The most unusual piece is 'Gone,' a Gil Evans original that is his improvisation on the spiritual 'Gone, Gone, Gone.' … Davis and Evans in 1959 and '60 undertook a third project, Sketches of Spain. Its centerpiece was the adagio movement of Joaquin Rodrigo's 'Concierto de Aranjuez' …" (program notes by Bill Kirchner).

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Dave Brubeck: Early Concepts

"Dave['s] studies at Mills College were interrupted by his army service. He was called up in 1944 and he initially obtained permission to continue his composition studies while in uniform. His teacher was Arnold Schoenberg. Brubeck recalled 'We didn't get along at all. It's completely misquoted that I studied with him. The first lesson was an introductory affair, and the second lesson I had written something, and he wanted a reason for every note. I said 'Because it sounds good', and he said, 'That is not an adequate reason,' and we got into a huge argument in which he was screaming at me. And I asked him why did he think he was the man who should determine the new music, and he screamed, 'Because I know more than any man alive about music.' Maybe this isn't an exact quote, but it's the essence of it.' This incident is indicative of Brubeck's strong willed character. His extreme individualism … served Brubeck to make it in [the] jazz world" (program notes by Joop Visser, p. 5).

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Neu! (self-titled)

"Hallogallo 2010 was formed by Michael Rother, a guitarist who was a prime mover in the postpsychedelic German rock that was crudely but durably labeled Krautrock. The music’s metronomic beats, drone crescendos and embrace of noise have echoed through art-rock (and hip-hop) ever since, up to the latest generation of indie-rock. … 'Hallogallo' was the opening song on Neu!’s self-titled 1972 debut album. From 1971 to 1975 Mr. Rother and the drummer Klaus Dinger, who died in 2008, teamed up as Neu! and explored an experimental, sometimes proto-punk style of Krautrock. It was largely instrumental and drew on sampled ambient sounds as well as Mr. Dinger’s distinctive 'motorik' thump-a-thump-a. (Although Krautrock was determined to reject American influences, that beat recalls surf music.) " (Jon Pareles, "Razor-Edged Sound (Thump-a-Thump-a)," New York Times, 8/8/10).

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Jerrod Niemann: Judge Jerrod & the Hung Jury

"'Judge Jerrod & the Hung Jury' (Sea Gayle/Arista Nashville) is Jerrod Niemann’s first major-label album, which might explain why he’s so eager to show off so many styles. There’s the rough country of the ’70s (the surprisingly wistful 'They Should Have Named You Cocaine'), the soft crooning of the 1980s ('Come Back to Me') and the exuberant pop-country of the ’90s ('How Can I Be So Thirsty'), each executed effervescently. In sum, Mr. Niemann is a gentleman outlaw, but mostly he’s a history-minded technician on this thoughtful, magnetic record, his voice carrying bits of Garth Brooks … and George Strait put in service of oodles of plain, forceful writing. Best is 'What Do You Want,' a tender scold … with a Hawaiian lilt to the melody. Even more striking are the skits — drunken calls from Mexico, girls begging for Robert Earl Keen covers, loopy fan mail — that make for a country album as it might be conceptualized by Prince Paul" (Jon Caramanica, "Playlist," New York Times, 7/16/10).

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The Candles: Between the Sounds

"Josh Lattanzi has made a pretty good career out of being a hired gun in the studio and on the road. Just over two years ago, after being an integral part of creating the sophomore album for Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr., Lattanzi — a Guilford native — was inspired to write a batch of Americana-tinged indie rock songs, make his own album and assemble a five-piece band (featuring three fellow Connecticut natives) to support it. The Candles’ debut, Between the Sounds, was released in April to a fair amount of positive press and a subsequent increase in responsibility. 'Every aspect of playing in a band has changed,' Lattanzi says with a laugh. 'I can be an opinionated guy. From an observational standpoint, playing in all these other bands, I’d be like, "I like how they’re handling this thing but maybe not so much these other areas." Now we’re on a small label and touring in a band and the economics are important'" (Brian Baker, "Candles in the Wind," New Haven Advocate, 7/8/10, p. 35).

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Blake Shelton: All About Tonight

"Blake Shelton is not a stoic like Trace Adkins, a sun-bleached hobo like Kenny Chesney or an avatar of rural pride like Jason Aldean. He’s not a guitar hero like Brad Paisley, a moody bruiser like Toby Keith or a repository of living history like George Strait. What a relief that turns out to be. Mr. Shelton is among the most versatile of contemporary country singers, an amiable rapscallion one minute and a thoughtful brooder the next. His new EP, 'All About Tonight,' is a variety-pack of country styles, each song a different pose for Mr. Shelton to try out, with varying success. … On 'All About Tonight' he’s soused, flirty and convincing. 'Tomorrow can wait 'til tomorrow,' he insists. … Really, mischief is Mr. Shelton’s game. It’s telling that the funniest song here is the one with his fiancée, Miranda Lambert. 'Draggin’ the River' is about a couple who fake a car crash in order to steal away for a secret wedding — a tale that would make Tim McGraw and Faith Hill blush" (Jon Caramanica, "New CDs," New York Times, 8/8/10).

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