Cincinnati Pops Orchestra: American as Apple Pie

"John Philip Sousa ... was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era, known particularly for American military and patriotic marches. ... Among his best known marches are 'The Washington Post', 'Semper Fidelis' (Official March of the United States Marine Corps), and 'The Stars and Stripes Forever' (National March of the United States of America). His father was Portuguese, and his mother of Bavarian ancestry. Sousa began his career playing violin and studying music theory and composition under John Esputa and George Felix Benkert. His father eventually enlisted him in the United States Marine Band as an apprentice in 1868. After departing the band in 1875, Sousa eventually learned to conduct. From 1880 until his death, Sousa began focusing exclusively on conducting and wrote marches during this time. He eventually rejoined the Marine Band and served there for 12 years as director. Upon leaving the Marine Band, Sousa organized his own band. ... Sousa wrote 136 marches, published by the Sam Fox Publishing Company beginning in 1917 and continuing until his death" (Wikipedia).

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Dr. Dog: Be the Void

"Dr. Dog albums — and Be the Void, their second Anti- release, is no different — are long, weird conversations between guitarist Scott McMicken and bassist Toby Leaman, who alternate vocal duties track-by-track and add intricate overdubbed harmonies when not singing lead. Few musical partnerships have worked so well for so long, and it’s pointless to say whose contribution is superior; this time around, Leaman’s in overdrive on 'Lonesome,' 'Vampire' and 'Warrior Man,' and McMicken comes across almost gentleman-like, laying on 'How Long Must I Wait' and 'Heavy Light' and somewhat baring teeth on the single, 'That Old Black Hole.' Be the Void, which was recorded live with new members Eric Slick and Dmitri Manos, sounds like it was done in a basement on an old, good-sounding eight-track reel-to-reel" (Michael Hamad, "CD of the Week," New Haven Advocate, 2/2/12).

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Sleigh Bells: Reign of Tyranny

"The new record is unmistakably Sleigh Bells, with dense but bigger production that puts [Alexis] Krauss’s voice into sweet relief over [Derek] Miller’s dark metal peals. It is even more guitar driven ... and more narrative and lyrical, with a crisper focus on arrangements and harmony over beats. ... Though half of 'Treats' was written before Ms. Krauss ever got involved, for 'Reign of Terror' she was a more equal collaborator. 'She was there for every single stitch of this record,' said Shane Stoneback, the engineer who recorded both 'Treats' and 'Reign of Terror.' Mr. Stoneback, who has worked with Vampire Weekend and Cults, praised Ms. Krauss for her attention to the minutest details, like the week they spent listening to individual drum machine rhythms. They spent four months in his Chelsea studio, recording vocals and guitars in a makeshift echo chamber and honing a sound that Mr. Stoneback said was inspired by Mutt Lange, the producer of AC/DC, Def Leppard and Billy Ocean. 'The immediate grenade pin that we pulled was big ’80s rock stuff,' he said" (Melena Ryzik, "Enjoying the Sweet Pains of Success," New York Times, 2/14/12).

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Woody at 100: The Woody Guthrie Centennial Collection

"The Smithsonian Institution's 'Woody at 100,' a three-CD boxed set commemorating the centennial of Woody Guthrie’s birth, begins, as it must, with 'This Land Is Your Land,' his most famous song. But instead of the standard, sanitized lyrics taught to schoolchildren as a kind of patriotic bromide, it offers an alternate version with an extra verse that is a biting, defiant and subversive jab at what today would be called the 1 percent. 'Woody at 100' proves to be full of unexpected moments like that, seemingly designed to compel listeners to reassess their image of America’s best-known folk singer. Guthrie’s political side is certainly on display, with his left-wing sentiments in even sharper relief. But what also emerges is the notion of an artist rooted in country music and the blues, capable of writing in any style, from earnest Appalachian ballad to topical broadside, from hillbilly lament to whimsical children’s song. 'I wanted a slightly different take from the way Woody Guthrie is normally painted, as the hobo or urban folk singer,' said Jeff Place, chief archivist at the Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and co-producer of the new collection" (Larry Rohter, "'Your Land,' and Guthrie's, Preserved," New York Times, 7/11/12).

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Seth MacFarlane: Music Is Better Than Words

"Frank Sinatra is still as hip as ever, and if you don't believe us, take it from Bill Maher and "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane. At a recent party thrown by MacFarlane, the two friends showed off their singing chops. Maher and MacFarlane had some fun on stage belting out the Sinatra tune 'Star.' Although both men are best known for their comedic skills, MacFarlane has also made a name for himself as a full-fledged crooner. He recently released his very own album entitled 'Music Is Better Than Words'" ("Bill Maher, Seth MacFarlane Sing Frank Sinatra's 'Star,'" Huffington Post, 10/27/11).

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Estelle: All of Me

"It took her four years to produce her 2008 album, 'Shine,' which included her breakthrough Grammy-winning single, 'American Boy.' ... Now, after nearly another four years, Estelle releases her latest album, 'All of Me' – and once again, it's well worth the wait. Estelle sings with her Brit-accented delivery mixed with uptempo dancehall tracks and heartfelt ballads that touch the soul. She bounces back-and-forth from rapping and singing on 'Speak Ya Mind' and 'The Life,' informing listeners that she hasn't missed a step since her last album a few years ago. The track names might indicate that 'All of Me' is all about the somber state of breakups. But that is not the case with Estelle, who focuses on the positive aspects of departing from her mate. On the Akon-written 'Thank You,' Estelle shows gratitude toward her cheating mate for their inevitable split. She pours her heart out on the chorus. ... 'Wonderful Life' has an easy-going feel, as Estelle sings about trying to find the simple pleasures of life during a rocky day. On the album's single, 'Break My Heart,' featuring Rick Ross, the singer struggles with her trust issues on the midtempo, radio-friendly track. In total, Estelle's album is a solid piece of work, and she proves that her 'all' is more than enough" (Jonathan Landrum Jr., "Estelle Thrives on New Album," Huffington Post, 2/27/12).

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Craig Finn: Clear Heart Full Eyes

"Although [Hold Steady front man] Finn digs even deeper into some of the spiritual themes he’s explored before, 'Clear Heart Full Eyes' is bleaker than the Hold Steady’s albums. The marginal characters populating these songs seem less predisposed toward redemption; they’re somehow more defeated and their frailties feel harder and less escapable. These songs are less about characters who take refuge in the community of the scene — a central tenet of Hold Steady mythology — than retreat inside themselves. ... The music matches Finn’s somber mood. Recorded with producer Mike McCarthy and a four-piece backing band last summer in Austin, Texas, the songs are fairly subdued country-rockers. Moaning steel guitar lends a rootsy cast to 'Western Pier' and shores up the moody opener, 'Apollo Bay,' while fast, twangy electric leads zip around deceptively jaunty acoustic guitar on 'Friend Named Jesus.' Finn sings in gently weary tones on 'Jackson,' and wistfully recounts memories over prickly cascades of electric guitar on 'Rented Room,' his narrator stuck in a psychic limbo state that is at once comfortable and not, in equal measures. It’s often a dark album, but 'Clear Heart Full Eyes' is also absorbing, largely because it finds Finn doing what he does best: telling vivid stories" (Eric R. Danton, "Craig Finn Resets Expectations With Solo Debut," Sound Check, 1/124/12).

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Megadeth: Killing Is My Business ... And Business Is Good!

"David Ellefson plays bass for Megadeth. He also is an online student in the Specific Ministry Program at Concordia Seminary operated by the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch ... reported that Ellefson's studies illustrate why distance learning programs at seminaries have a growing popularity nationwide, allowing students to attend divinity schools without uprooting their lives. Even in a non-traditional learning setting, Ellefson is a non-traditional student given his band has recorded albums with titles such as 'Killing Is My Business ... And Business Is Good!' ... Growing up in Minnesota, his family drove from their farm to Our Savior's Lutheran Church each Sunday. Ellefson, now 47, was confirmed there at age 16. A few years later, in the summer of 1983, Ellefson moved to Los Angeles and within a week of his arrival had formed Megadeth. ... The rock star lifestyle caught up with Ellefson by the time he was 25. He entered a 12-step recovery program and was reintroduced to his faith" ("David Ellefson, Megadeth Bassist, Goes To School To Become A Seminarian," Huffington Post, 1/19/12).

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Hugo: Original Score

"The Academy has released its list of scores that are eligible for the Oscar. ... One of the most familiar names on the list is Howard Shore, for his work in 'Hugo.' Mr. Shore is a veteran composer and three-time Oscar winner, for the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy. 'Hugo' marks his sixth collaboration with Martin Scorsese, with whom he shares a fanboyish love of their medium. 'We always talk about movies and music, and I think that’s really a part of our friendship,' Mr. Shore said, taking a break from a vacation on a family farm to speak with the Bagger today. For 'Hugo,' as with all his scores, Mr. Shore did a lot of research into the sounds of the era. 'It’s a rich period, there was a lot to delve into,' he said. 'It’s really a cultural change in music. There’s harmonic language, there’s counterpoint, there’s orchestration. It’s one of my favorite periods in music, from the turn of the century to the ’30s.' To capture that, he created a sextet based on the café music and theater music of the time. The instruments included the ondes Martenot, an early electronic instrument that was the French answer to the theremin, Mr. Shore explained. 'It was part of the sound of that period, electronics getting into acoustic music for the first time,' Mr. Shore said" (Melena Ryzik, "The Carpetbagger," New York Times, 12/23/11).

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Pierre Boulez: Le Domaine Musical, Vol. 1

"It's impossible to imagine contemporary music, and in fact the entire musical world, without Pierre Boulez. As a composer he defined the image of the iconoclastic avant-garde in his music of the 1940s and 1950s; as a polemicist he gave post-war music some of its best aphorisms - 'anyone who has not felt… the necessity of the dodecaphonic [12-tone] language is OF NO USE', that the best solution to the problem of opera would be to blow up the opera houses. ... The first thing to do when thinking about Boulez's music is to prise it apart from the phenomenon of Boulez the man's power, influence, and personality. ... Le marteau sans maître incarnates a new way of thinking about vocal music - with the alto line's feverish unpredictability, and new combinations of instrumental colour (there are no real bass instruments in the piece's resonantly exotic lineup ensemble of alto flute, guitar, viola, xylorimba, vibraphone, and percussion), but it's also a piece that couldn't have happened without Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire four decades earlier, or Webern's chamber music, or Debussy's late sonatas. Similarly, the power and ferocity of the Second Piano Sonata comes in part from the way the piece warps, destroys, reforms and rebuilds conventions such as sonata form and fugue" (Tom Service, "A Guide to Pierre Boulez's Music," The Guardian, 7/16/12).

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Florence + the Machine: Ceremonials

"Florence and the Machine (fronted by English musician Florence Welch) have a nearly insurmountable challenge in trying to live up to the expectations of 2009's brilliant, rapturously received Lungs. Welch's voice, at the same time breathy and deeply resonant, gets pushed to the limits and, in a neat technique tic, is layered upon itself (like on lead single 'Shake It Out' and 'Never Let Me Go'), amplified to the levels of a church choir -- another way the album sounds so huge. Not that the sonic opulence overwhelms -- 'Lover to Lover' is a deeply soulful Motown jam, and rumored next-single 'No Light, No LIght' is draped over a throbbing celestial synth line. Ceremonials is an unstoppable album as beautiful as it is strong, just like its lead singer" (Drew Taylor, "CD of the Week," New Haven Advocate, 11/3/11).

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Grimes: Visions

"Saturday night closed with a buoyant set by Grimes, the art-minded electro-pop singer ... who has one of this year’s best albums, 'Visions' (4AD), and whose mewling has evolved from irritating to entrancing" (Jon Caramanica, "Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago," New York Times, 7/16/12).

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Dirty Projectors: Swing Lo Magellan

"It’s pretty tough to give an exact style to the Dirty Projectors. The brainchild of Connecticut native and Yale grad Dave Longstreth, the Projectors’ method of alternation with stripped down guitars, vocal harmonies and seemingly random samples shifts between songs, nevermind albums. That being said, there’s a different feel about their latest effort, 'Swing Lo Magellan,' set to be released tomorrow. There is a bit less of those jagged chords and difficult melodies, though that’s not to say things are simple- just interpolation that’s a little more familiar to a less, um, visionary audience. Percussion and beat on 'Magellan' stays interesting, with some pretty thick riffs on the deep end. The track ‘About To Die’ begins with what sounds like a rapid-fire kickball before settling into a solid bass strut. It’s followed up with the suave ‘Gun Has No Trigger,’ a soul-noir jam with an unforgivably slick rhythm. ‘See What She Seeing’ is another standout in that vein, with Longstreth’s wistful voice as a blanket over subterranean beats with the pitterpatter rain-like drums on the roof above. Claps are liberally peppered through the record, just begging for a happy audience clap-along. That could work just fine, especially on the track Unto Caesar, a fun stroll of a jam session filled with laughter, missed beats, and background banter" (Nick Caito, "A Look at Dirty Projectors' 'Swing Lo Magellan,'" Sound Check, 7/9/12).

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Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 8, 14, 15

"The eminent French-Cypriot pianist Cyprien Katsaris had serious business on his mind when he took the stage on Monday night at Mannes College the New School for Music and signaled to the audience that he wanted to speak. After greeting everyone Mr. Katsaris said that he wanted to 'address the pirates' in the audience. He sternly asked concertgoers to switch off 'your little recording devices,' adding that he knew full well that some in the audience would not do so. He asked that those determined to record his performance anyway 'please consider' that this act is 'almost like stealing or raping.' The audience seemed stunned into silence. A few people applauded. Then Mr. Katsaris began his program. ... In principle Mr. Katsaris was on solid ground. The illicit recording of a performance is a violation of an artist’s rights. And smartphones have made this piracy easier than ever. Mr. Katsaris’s large discography includes many live performances, including the complete Mozart piano concertos with the Salzburger Kammerphilharmonie. So it must be especially frustrating for him to see illegal recordings of his performances end up of the Web ..." (Anthony Tommasini, "Getting the Audience's Attention, and Keeping It," New York Times, 7/17/12).

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Mayer Hawthorne: How Do You Do

"Justin Timberlake, Kanye West and John Mayer have all tweeted their love for this creamy-voiced crooner. His retro-soul charms should easily win him more fans" (Chuck Arnold, "Music," People, 11/7/11, p. 48).

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The Tallis Scholars Sing Thomas Tallis

"'Fifty Shades Of Grey' has quickly become a global phenomenon. The book has spent 18 weeks on the NYTimes best seller list for print and E-book fiction and the two other books in the series now sit at numbers 2 and 3 on the list. Not only do the books hold the highest spots on the chart, there are actually online community threads that read, 'Fifty Shades Withdrawal Support Group,' no joke. So it doesn't surprise us that a piece of classical music featured in the book has, according to the Telegraph, rapidly increased in sales. The piece, 'Spem in Alium,' sung by The Tallis Scholars, jumped from No. 20 to No. 7 on the UK Classical Singles Chart, and it currently sits at No. 4 on the iTunes classical Top 100 chart. ... The song, translated from latin to, 'Hope In Any Other' is a 40-part renaissance motet by English composer Thomas Tallis (c. 1505 - 1585). The piece was composed sometime around 1570 for eight choirs of five voices each. The lyrics translate from Latin to: 'I have never founded by hope on any other than thee, O God of Israel, who shalt be angry, and yet be gracious, and who absolvest all the sins of mankind in tribulation. Lord God, creator of heaven and earth, be mindful of our lowliness'" (Hallie Sekoff, "'Fifty Shades of Grey' and 'Spem in Alum,'" Huffington Post, 7/11/12).

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Blood, Sweat, and Tears: Child Is Father to the Man

"In 1967, Al Kooper's music helped me through the transition from high school to college. Now, his weekly column 'New Music for Old People' is an inspiration for passage to the AARP. Appearing in The Morton Report, each column offers 10 terrific tracks for your listening pleasure -- some old, some new, some obscure even to pop fanatics. While you're soaking up the music, you can read Kooper's entertaining, often fascinating commentary. Kooper was like a sonic roommate during my freshman year at a small university in a Pennsylvania town with a population under 5,000. My actual roommate was a very nice guy who never said anything. Meaningful contact with attractive females was out of the question for a shy frosh, so I spent my free hours under the headphones happily suffering along with the bluesy sounds of Kooper's adaptation/arrangement of 'I Can't Keep From Crying' and other tales of woe from the Blues Project, of which he was a key member. A few months later, my freshman agonistes were further nourished when Blood, Sweat & Tears -- with Kooper at the helm -- released its now legendary debut album, Child Is Father To The Man" (Michael Sigman, "For Al Kooper, Everything New Is Old Again," Huffington Post, 6/25/12).

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Caravan of Thieves: The Funhouse

"'It's been fun seeing the whole thing kind of unravel,' says Fuzz Sangiovanni, guitarist, singer and co-creator of the Caravan of Thieves. He and his songwriting, singing and life partner Carrie sound like they're just observing something they've set free. ... 'Recently we've been on this path of trying to bring our act to the next level, really trying to push on this,' says Carrie. ... Recording The Funhouse at Tarquin Studios in Bridgeport was that next level. ... The result is lush, celebratory and refreshing in this world of too-many folk rock bands. They made the album without the use of any electronic instruments and added percussive items like stepladders, keg buckets and pans to the already spicy lineup of guitars, bass, banjo, ukulele, viola and resonator guitar. The sharp, thick and clean sound on The Funhouse is a shining example of how it's supposed to be done. On more than a few of their smartly composed songs about live, death, ghosts and general mischief -- like 'Haunt Me,' or 'Candy' and 'Raise the Dead,' with their playful lyrics and dark subject matter -- they strike a balance between darkness and happiness with a silly, creepy air of mystery" (Sean Corbett, "Raising the Dead," New Haven Advocate, 6/21/12, p. 21).

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Robin Thicke: Love After War

"It’s been a year of renewed Otis Redding worship. First there was Kanye/Jay-Z’s 'Otis' (and Das Racist also made a reference in the title track of their most recent record). And now vocal shape-shifter and soul chameleon Robin Thicke is sounding sweet and gruff on his new one, doing that velvety shout that Redding perfected. Thicke ably imitated Michael Jackson and Marvin Gaye on his 2009 release Sex Therapy. As with R. Kelly, another of Thicke’s obvious inspirations, there’s an abiding weirdness. Thicke’s 'New Generation,' which despite all the things that you could point to as signs of things going to hell, insists that the world is getting better. Channeling his inner Michael McDonald, with a mix of blue-eyed-soul and yacht-rock, the title track seems to be about makeup sex, as much as it might also be about transcending our warrior instincts. When Thicke applies the smoothness with maximum, well, thickness, it’s a good effect. 'Cloud 9' isn’t exactly a holiday song, but with its billowy jazzy guitars and Thicke’s candy-cane vocal turns, it might as well be. 'Never Give Up' is impressive in terms of shear bombast, with its soaring Beethoven-ish classical background. Thicke doesn’t aim for depth, but his surface fizz is plenty entertaining" (John Adamian, "CD of the Week," New Haven Advocate, 12/8/11).

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Neil Young: Americana

"Neil Young fans rejoice- he’s saddling up with Crazy Horse to hit the road for the first time in 8 years, and plans to make a stop at the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport December 4. The tour is in support of the band’s new album, 'Americana,' which drops tomorrow, June 5. Did you plan on buying the album? Want to go to the concert? Fans buying tickets online get a free copy of Americana too! Plus a dollar from every ticket goes to The Bridge School, a charity that helps kids with physical impairments and complex communication needs. Godmother of punk rock Patti Smith opens up. Tickets go on sale this Friday, June 8, at LiveNation.com, and cost from $57.50 to $162.50" (Nick Caito, "Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Patti Smith to Play Webster Bank Arena," Sound Check, 6/4/12).

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Bonnie Raitt: Slipstream

"The eternally classy blues doyenne is enjoying warm reception for 'Slipstream' (Redwing), her first record in seven years and a two-part exploration of classic slide-guitar jams and avant-roots rock. The rich comfort of her voice has only augmented with time; the disc’s cover of Bob Dylan’s 'Standing in the Doorway' is bare faced and beautiful" (Stacey Anderson, "Pop Listings," New York Times, 6/14/12).

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Carolina Chocolate Drops: Genuine Negro Jig

"For the Carolina Chocolate Drops, playing the International Festival of Arts & Ideas has the same excitement as when this singular, historically minded yet immediate and accessible band plays anywhere else. The last time the Carolina Chocolate Drops played Connecticut, the band had to win over fans of tour mates the Dave Matthews Band. This time, they might be fighting a 'cultural' tag. But the four-member African-American string band -- which won a Grammy last  year for their 2010 album Genuine Negro Jig ... persevere with a simple, direct approach and an ingrained need to entertain" (New Haven Advocate, 6/14/12, p. 13).

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Dr. John: Locked Down

"Produced by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, 'Locked Down' nods cordially at Dr. John’s eclectic New Orleans shaman shtick, then maneuvers it out of the way in favor of music that speaks for itself through taut grooves and seat-of-the-pants instrumental interplay. Good choice: Dr. John has wide-ranging taste, and he always could play. Auerbach pairs him here with an ace backing group that sticks close as Dr. John strolls through an eclectic blend of funk, blues, psychedelic rock and Afrobeat, digging into tight grooves on songs that grab hold a little tighter each time through the LP. 'Big Shot' shimmies and sways ... while low horns grunt over the staccato beat that pushes along his spooky vocals on 'Revolution.' A thick layer of keyboards blankets the deep funk interplay between bass and guitar on 'Ice Age' and the atmospheric glimmers of a Rhodes keyboard hover on the soulful slow jam 'My Children, My Angels.' Though he’s known for his facility on piano ... Dr. John mostly plays other keyboards on this album — an intentional move by Auerbach, who wanted to push Rebennack in unexpected directions. ... Forty years after recording the single 'Right Place, Wrong Time,' it’s finally the right time for Dr. John on an album that stands among his deepest" (Eric R. Danton, "Album Review," Sound Check, 4/2/12).

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