Music Set

When Scorsese's Taxi Driver came out in 1976, it drew a lot of attention for its graphic violence and unforgettable portrayals, including De Niro as disturbed cabbie Travis Bickle and Jodie Foster as an underage hooker. But when I first saw the film I had a couple of additional thoughts. For one thing, I was drawn to the soundtrack's lush and haunting music from Bernard Herrmann — probably the best movie composer not named Mancini or Williams.
» Read the full Retro Redux: Taxi Drivers Have Feelings Too article…

Tens of thousands of punters and a slew of A-list stars and musical acts gathered in London's Hyde Park Friday for a special concert honoring the South African leader's 90th birthday party. The biggest surprise of the evening came courtesy of a healthy-looking Amy Winehouse, who, despite speculation and a track record to the contrary, actually turned up as planned and delivered a hitch-free performance during the four-hour event.
» Read the full Winehouse Plays for Full House at Mandela Gig (E! Online) article…

The journey into music videos has moved into its seventh week. Let’s all count along! This week continues my compiling of videos and various musical related tid-bits for your viewing pleasure. Some will be brand spanking new, while others will just be things that I like. I am not great with the timeliness yet, but I hope you’ve been enjoying these video collections and actually desire more. The majority of the videos will fall in the metal realm, as that is where my primary musical interests lie.
» Read the full Music Media: Whitechapel, Gwar, Offensive Cover Tunes, Judas Priest, Drudgery, Vasco Rossi, "Saga - Г“pera Extravagante," Drowning Pool article…

Soul legend James Brown will always be known as the “Hardest Working Man in Show Business.” But keep your eye on one guitar virtuoso's itinerary over the next few years and you’ll find yourself asking if he isn’t the hardest working man on six strings.

The founding guitarist for influential thrash metal act Testament, New York-based Alex Skolnick has reunited with that band after a lengthy estrangement.

» Read the full Interview: Guitar Virtuoso Alex Skolnick of Testament article…

AZ has been on fire lately, starting with the fantastic Aziatic in 2002, the above average A.W.O.L. in 2005, then completely shattering expectations set upon him 13 years ago with the superbly produced and rapped The Format a year later.

AZ has never sold millions of units or received the critical acclaim of many of his fellow New York brethren. Once upon a rhyme, it was (one-time?) friend Nasir “Nas” Jones who broke open the doors for the Brooklyn native, and allowed him the only guest appearance on his classic 1994 debut LP, Illmatic.

» Read the full Music Review: AZ - Undeniable article…

During the 90s, the “Neo-Soul” movement hit the music scene, heralded by Erykah Badu's excellent album Baduizm. Likeminded artists followed in her footsteps - D'Angelo, Angie Stone, and Jill Scott, to name just a few. One such artist, Maxwell, earned critical acclaim with his semi-concept album Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite, which chronicles a relationship from beginning to (presumably) happy ending.

When he released his follow-up studio album, Embrya, in 1998, fans were puzzled by its shift in tone - still romantic, but lyrically obtuse.

» Read the full Music Review: Maxwell’s Embrya Remains A Romantic Hidden Gem article…

JosГ© GonzГЎlez, Futureheads, MaxГЇmo Park select up-and-coming acts for UK comp The multiple-charity-benefiting Independents Day is fast approaching, and now, the U.S. and UK compilations associated with the international event have finalized tracklists. As previously reported, between the two compilations are tracks from Frank Black, Devendra Banhart, Jarvis Cocker with the Gossip’s Beth Ditto, the Futureheads, Maxïmo Park, José González, Prodigy, Editors, British Sea Power, Living Legends, and…Slipknot.
» Read the full Independents Day Reveals Comp Details, New Auctions article…

The neo-soul songstress is set to make her Broadway debut Sept. 8 in a Whoopi Goldberg-produced revival of the Obie Award-winning For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf. The 1975 drama, by playwright Ntozake Shange, is a collection of 20 prosaic poems, each a reflection on modern American life as experienced by black women. The characters do not have names but are instead identified by monikers such as "Lady in Brown" and "Lady in Purple." Previews begin Aug.
» Read the full Whoopi for India.Arie’s Broadway Debut (E! Online) article…

On December 20th, 1803 the government of Thomas Jefferson agreed to pay Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte $15 million dollars for the Louisiana territory. The Louisiana Purchase, as this transaction came to be called, gave the U.S. control over access to the mouth of the Mississippi River and all the benefits that came with control of and use of that waterway. The transaction was also one of the earliest examples of a real-estate flip in North America, as the French had only just taken over the territory from the Spanish 20 days prior to selling it off to the new American Republic.
» Read the full Music Review: Feufollet - Cow Island Hop article…

The Motown years were an exceptional time period in the musical history of the United States. The number of hits that poured out of Detroit was prodigious, and their quality was exceptional. It didn’t much matter what your social strata or color or religion were. Teenagers and young adults of this period, the mid-1960s through 1972, were, as youth of every era, wrapped up in their music, but they also lived their music in many ways.

» Read the full Music Review: Funk Brothers Live in Orlando DVD article…