The Postal Service: Give Up (10th anniversary ed.)

"The Postal Service was a prodigiously successful side project: a collaboration between [Benjamin] Gibbard, who leads the band Death Cab for Cutie, and Jimmy Tamborello, who records electronic music as Dntel. Mr. Tamborello sent Mr. Gibbard electronic tracks, and Mr. Gibbard shaped them into pop songs, adding words, guitars and other instruments. (Back in 2002, they exchanged the recordings via postal mail, giving the band its name.) Jenny Lewis, who at the time was a leader of Rilo Kiley, added backup vocals. ... They were looking back, in some ways, to the electropop of the 1980s, but trading 1980s theatricality for indie-rock diffidence. And their particular hybrid of wistful rock and synthesized pop ... turned out, over the next decade, to be a template for hits from Owl City, Passion Pit and others. The Postal Service had its own hit, 'Such Great Heights,' and steady album sales that have since exceeded a million copies. A 10th-anniversary edition of 'Give Up,' adding remixes and a few songs Mr. Gibbard and Mr. Tamborello started working on in 2006, has just been released" (Jon Pareles, "10 Years Later, a Onetime Side Project with Outsize Clout," New York Times, 6/16/13).

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Mozart: Musical Masterpieces

"The Marriage of Figaro K492: Overture. The opera was based on a subversive political play by French playwright Beaumarchais, which was said to have ushered in the French Revolution. As a comic opera it is innovative in both music and content, and it was an instant success. There were so many encores on its first three nights that the emperor had to issue an order restricting the number of times the audience coudl request a replay. From the very first scurrying bars of the overture, we know that this, perhaps Mozart's greatest and most entertaining opera, is going to be full of action and intrigue. There is no moment of rest or repose, as the music pursues its dizzy course, and Mozart prepares us to live out one crazy day in the life of Figaro, one of opera's great larger-than-life characters ..." (accompanying booklet).

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David Lynch: The Big Dream

"His work is famous for its everyday subject matter -- small towns like Twin Peaks and Lumberton, dentistry equipment, spark plugs, summer storms -- yet in his imagination the everyday becomes the backdrop for our deepest dreams and our most disturbing fears. ... Created with engineer/guitarist/right-hand man Dean Hurley, the songs build and unbuild blues refrains, repeating lines and ABAB rhyme schemes until they become hypnotic and dreamlike. ... Even more than 'Crazy Clown Time,' 'The Big Dream' is a guitar album. What is your fascination with the instrument? I guess of all the instruments in the world, the electric guitar to me is the most beautiful and most powerful, and I always say I see it as a big engine. A rough-running, smoky, high-horsepower engine. It feels that way to me. I just love it so much. ... The textures of the guitars on this album remind me of brushwork in a painting. It varies from one moment to the next — sometimes thickly applied, other times nearly invisible. In painting, they say you could feather that. You use the same term in music. I say, 'Dean, feather that out a little bit'" (Stephen Deusner, "David Lynch," Salon, 8/5/13).

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Savages: Silence Yourself

"This is a post-punk band, not in the general sense but in the anachronistically literal one, as if the first wave of punk had just happened and needed an answer. It’s also a band made up of four women, and its foundation is the tense and severe music from Britain and New York in the late ’70s and early ’80s, particularly in groups involving women: the Bush Tetras and the Slits, for example, who made music for dancing and critical thinking, as if it were understood that punk had blasted down pop, and their jobs were to build it up again from scratch, rather than sliding into received wisdom about normative professionalism. Savages made an intermittently exciting first record, 'Silence Yourself' (Matador), and the benefit of hearing it at home in a controlled environment is the context the group has given it: the thudding and ringing and ropy sound of the recording; the lyrics — published in capital letters on the band’s Web site, about primal energies and living in the present and gender roles scrutinized from a distance — and the manifestoes, streaked with uppercase letters ..." (Ben Ratliff, "Gender Roles, Manifestoes and Sounds of a Certain Era," New York Times, 7/12/13).

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Poulenc: Stabat Mater, Les Biches

"A perfect storm. From Poulenc's yin and yang department come two fine creations: the sad but noble Stabat Mater and Les Biches, his feisty, colorful ballet score that wowed them in Monte Carlo and Paris when it was unveiled in 1924. From Maestro Deneve comes conducting that is deeply felt and in magnificent control of dynamics. The Stuttgart ensembles contribute superb musicianship, and Marlis Petersen spins a web of beauty and power in the evocative solos of the Stabat Mater. In keeping with everything else, the engineering is state-of-the-art. ... Robert Shaw gave us marvelous Poulenc, and his Telarc Stabat Mater coupled with Szymanowski's riveting take on the same text is wonderful. This one, I think, joins it at the top. ... Deneve gets the bleakness of the opening but leavens it with a touch of elegance courtesy of the celestial sounds of his choral sopranos. 'O quam tristis' shimmers with sadness, and there's a real buzz to the anguish generated at 'Pro peccatis suae gentis'. Also affecting is the way the conductor and soloist join forces to lift the soul, just as the text commands at 'Fac, ut animae donetur Paradisi gloria'. Pick an interlude and you're bound to hear something way out of the ordinary" (Philip Greenfield, American Record Guide, July/August 2013, p. 135).

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Jimmie Rodgers: Reborn and Remastered

"He died slightly more than 80 years ago, at the tragically young age of 35, and this remastered collection of 25 of his songs is a reminder of why the 'Singing Brakeman' from Mississippi became the first country-music superstar, after 14 years spent working on the railroads. Jimmie Rodgers's unique style mixed folk, blues, hillbilly songs and ballads with his trademark yodel, with backing provided by his own guitar or a jazz band. His gutsy treatment of the blues still sounds remarkably fresh, particularly on the rousing Mule Skinner Blues and the pained and powerful TB Blues, recorded two years before it killed him. Then there are the folk-club favourites, Frankie and Johnnie and Waiting for a Train, and the weepie Miss the Mississippi and You. A classic – and there's a bonus CD with 25 songs from his contemporaries, including the Carter Family" (Robin Denselow, "Review," Guardian, 8/8/13).

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Onslow: 3 Cello Sonatas, op. 16

"Georges Onslow (1784-1853) was an Englishman born in France. He studied with Hullmandel, Dussek, and Cramer, and later with Reicha. He also played the cello, writing these sonatas in 1820. They were considered at that time on a level with Beethoven. They lack the concise intensity of Beethoven, but they have much beauty and romantic feeling to recommend them. It is good to hear Maria Kliegel again. Her warm sound is a pleasure. ... Altogether, it is a worthwhile project well handled by all, including the engineers" (David W. Moore, American Record Guide, July/August 2013, p. 129).

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Soundgarden: King Animal

"Chris Cornell has announced a new solo tour for the Fall that includes two dates in the Connecticut area. The tour is a follow up to the 2011 ‘Songbook’ tour, featuring Cornell performing solo acoustic arrangements of songs across his career. It will be the first time he performs such versions of Soundgarden’s 2012 release ‘King Animal,’ the group’s first album in 16 years. Like the previous tour, Cornell will be performing at more intimate venues. His 2011 tour brought him to the Ridgefield Playhouse and Torrington’s Warner Theatre in Connecticut. Among the 30 dates taking Cornell across most of Northern United States are a show at Northampton’s Calvin Theater on Nov. 17, and a performance at the Shubert Theater in New Haven Nov. 20. The Calvin Theater performance goes for $38, $48, and $58 ... through iheg.com. Tickets to the Shubert Theater concert are $45, $55, and $65 ... through Ticketmaster. A dollar from every ticket sold will go to benefit the newly formed Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation, and a portion of the proceeds benefit Childhaven’s Creative Music Therapy Program" (Nick Caito, "Chris Cornell Playing Two Area Shows," Sound Check, 8/8/13).

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Copland: Complete Solo Piano Works, Vol. 2

"Commissioned to collaborate with choreographer Agnes de Mille, Copland supplied the music for the ballet Rodeo, which is centered on the lifestyle of the American Southwest ranch country -- a 'cowboy ballet.' From it, the composer extracted Four Dance Episodes and compiled an orchestral suite from which he arranged the solo piano version. The episodes represent American dance forms, full of zesty exuberance and life, mixed with feelings of nostalgia and lyricism. 1. Buckaroo Holiday opens with an energetic, syncopated version of the C major scale followed by jazz-derived polyrhythms. The two main themes are derivations from the folksongs, 'Sis Joe' and 'If he'd be a Buckaroo by his trade.' The incorporation of highly syncopated rhythms, blues elements, and the old ragtime bass makes this piece an exhilaratingly energizing thrill. II. Corral Nocturne serves as a direct contrast to Buckaroo Holiday; it is simple and expressive. While it does not utilize actual folksongs, it is in song form and uses soft, triadic figures to create a restful atmosphere. Ranch House Party is not counted as an episode but really does sound like a party! It is written in ragtime style with the left hand sustaining an octave bass ostinato ..." (CD notes by Young Kim).

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Jimmy Buffett: Coconut Telegraph

"James William 'Jimmy' Buffett (born December 25, 1946) is an American singer–songwriter, author, actor, and businessman. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an 'island escapism' lifestyle, and the often humorous things he has experienced throughout his life. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett has recorded hit songs including 'Margaritaville' (ranked 234th on the Recording Industry Association of America's list of 'Songs of the Century') and 'Come Monday'. He has a devoted base of fans known as 'Parrotheads'. Aside from his career in music, Buffett is also a best-selling writer and is involved in two restaurant chains named after two of his best known songs, 'Cheeseburger in Paradise' and 'Margaritaville'. He owns the Margaritaville Cafe restaurant chain and co-developed the Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant concept with OSI Restaurant Partners (parent of Outback Steakhouse), which operates the chain under a licensing agreement with Buffett. ... Buffett spent part of his childhood in Mobile, Alabama. In grade school years, he attended St. Ignatius School, where he played the trombone in the school band ..." (Wikipedia).

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Scarlatti and the Neapolitan Song

"Don't be put off by the title, 'Scarlatti and the Neapolitan Song,' thinking that it's likely to be a gimmicky mis-match of unrelated music. On the contrary, harpsichordist Francesco Cera may well have found the secret to performing Scarlatti sonatas, which -- however well played -- are very hard to listen to one after the other in a whole program. The musical connection between the two types of 18th-century music (there are nine Scarlatti sonatas and seven mostly anonymous songs here) is so close that you come to know that they are not so different after all. The excellent sequencing of pieces shows just how perfect are the musicians' ears as they match keys and moods so well ..." (Catherine Moore, American Record Guide, July/August 2013, p. 143).

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Black Sabbath: 13

"It took four decades, but Black Sabbath, the British rock band that arguably spawned the entire heavy metal genre, finally earned a No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart this week with its latest release, '13,' which sold 155,000 copies, Billboard reported on Wednesday. Released on Vertigo, '13' is the group’s first set of new songs with most of its original lineup — the singer Ozzy Osbourne, the guitarist Tony Iommi and the bassist Geezer Butler — since the 1978 album 'Never Say Die!' (The original drummer, Bill Ward, is not involved because of contract disputes.) The group’s only other Top 10 album was 1971’s 'Master of Reality,' which rose to No. 8. The heavy metal masters pulled off a similar feat in Britain last week, notching their first No. 1 album on the British album chart in 42 years. Its last No. 1 album there was 1970's 'Paranoid'" (James C. McKinley Jr., "Black Sabbath Earns Its First No. 1," New York Times, 6/19/13).

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The Black Keys: Magic Potion

"Tuesday night in Hartford was a humid one, the kind of humidity that would fog up a person’s glasses simply leaving an air conditioned car. Even the stage cameras held a layer of fog over every shot that appeared in the venue monitors. It was the kind of night that wasn’t good for a lot of running around and on stage freakouts. That was just fine for The Black Keys, who made up for the lack of high-pitch theatrics with the precision of a controlled demolition. The band moved deliberately through their set, first assembling it brick by brick before knocking them down with blasts of fuzzed out blues riffs and the timed explosions of crashing drums. A large portion of their songs came from the more recent era of the band’s decade-old catalogue, with plenty of hits off 2011′s 'El Camino' and 2010′s 'Brothers.' The Keys opened with a smooth 'Howlin’ For You' before going into 'Next Girl,' and 'Run Right Back.' ... After performing their infectious 'Gold on the Ceiling,' Auerbach told the audience 'We’re going to play a few songs, just the two of us,' before going into a few older tracks that included 'Your Touch' off the 2006 album 'Magic Potion'" (Nick Caito, "Review," Sound Check, 7/10/13).

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Mozart: Piano Concertos 23 and 24; Mitsuko Uchida, piano, conductor

"Many commentators have been struck by the high artistic level of the [Concerto no. 23], with its perfect balance between cheerfulness and formal perfection. For example, Alfred Einstein wrote that: 'Nowhere else did he write a first movement of such formal simplicity, such 'normality' in the thematic relation between tutti and solo, such clarity of thematic invention ... But there are also darker shadings and concealed intensities, which the listener interested only in pleasant entertainment misses altogether.' These 'darker shadings' already begin in the second chord with its unexpected G in the second violins. They resurface throughout the work and even dominate the slow movement. This Adagio (not Andante, as it is headed in older editions) is in F sharp minor, an unusual key for Mozart, and maintains a lilting siciliano rhythm throughout. In almost every bar of the main theme there are chromatic suspensions and unexpected harmonies. ..." (CD notes by Jürgen Ostmann, translated by Judith Bartex).

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Brian Stokes Mitchell: Simply Broadway

"The basis for Mitchell’s forthcoming show is his 2012 album, 'Simply Broadway,' which includes songs from 'Porgy and Bess,' 'Fiddler on the Roof” and 'Les Miserables' among other smash shows, and features accompaniment from longtime pianist and arranger Ted Firth. The actor calls his new show a whirlwind tour of “50 years of classic Broadway baritone” as told in a stripped-down, piano-and-vocal style. The album (and, consequently, the forthcoming show) also features vestiges of Mitchell’s well-known stage roles in 'Man of La Mancha' and 'South Pacific,' though the actor says he made a point to emphasize material he’d never previously recorded. 'I call it haiku-style music, because it really is about the most essential elements,' Mitchell, who said he was inspired by the 1975 'Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album,' noted. 'I treat every song as an acting moment, so these were songs that had really great acting moments in them'" (Curtis M. Wong, "Brian Stokes Mitchell to Open 'Starry Summer Nights' Series at NYC's Town Hall," Huffington Post, 7/7/13).

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Sigur Ros: Kveikur

"They've gone all black metal; well, a little bit, anyway. The title track is a sinister, low-slung grind of backwards-sounding instruments strafing scorched earth. Jónsi sings in his lower register, adding real menace to his repertoire for the first time. Brennisteinn (Brimstone) is even more malevolent, as though making the point that medieval notions of hell probably derived from volcanic activity. You almost want to punch the air: at last, something from Sigur Rós that isn't just a comfy soundbed. ... Ísjaki, meanwhile, is as catchy a song as Sigur Rós have ever penned and will soundtrack every missed goal, every whale-pod journey, every sunshine-through-rain moment on every TV trailer well into 2014. Kveikur is the definitive album fans of Sigur Rós have wanted the band to make since 2008's Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust, and then some" (Kitty Empire, "Review," Guardian, 6/15/13).

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