Tag: NPR

Reblogging: 50 Great Voices Audio Slideshows

Here are links to two different promotional audio slideshows I made for NPR Music’s upcoming 50 Great Voices series. They are my two first multimedia projects to go live on NPR.org so they’re a tad rough (though the second one is substantially better than the first effort).

Functionally, these two videos were intended to let our audience hear a few teases of music and interact with some of the great musical voices in recorded history. Personally I don’t think they’re a complete success in the goal interaction because the user is more or less tethered to the viewing experience of rather static images for the duration of the video.

But the music mixes do give an effective sense of flow between the different iconic voices.

Anyway, take a look (click on the images below to go see the videos):

Reblogging: Flaming Lips First Listen

So I had the noble task of hearing the new album from The Flaming Lips, Embryonic, about a month ahead of time and then getting to write a short entry about it for NPR Music.

We are featuring the album on the website, in its entirety for the next few days, so take a listen and see what you think. Me? I think it’s awesome.

Reblogging: Jazz Now!

My cohorts over at NPR Music’s jazz blog A Blog Supreme have been curating a series of lists of some of the best jazz records from the last decade as a means to introduce new people to jazz. In the process we’re also sort of introducing a new modern canon of classic jazz records.

Now entering it’s second week, my list — which features MMW, Dave Holland, Marc Ribot, Dave Douglas and John Zorn — finally went up. Check it out here.

Best Song I’ve Heard All Day: Panda Bear Edition

(part 721 in a 1001 part series)

For one reason or another, last year’s Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel by Brandon Cox’s side project Atlas Sound, never really caught on with me. Compared to Cox’s main musical outlet Deerhunter, and specifically 2008’s Microcastle, Atlas Sound just seemed more of the same.

After a bit of prodding from friend and occasional music collaborator (not to mention All Songs producer) Robin Hilton, I took another listen to that first record, as well as the new one Logos and fell in love.

My favorite track so far from Logos, “Walkabout” which features Animal Collective’s Noah Lennox.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcMGACqsg5A[/youtube]

Reblogging: Jazz Labels That Matter And The Dead Weather

I had a few more things I’ve written go up in the last week to shamelessly promote. Here’s a three bulleted rundown:

On Monday, All Songs Considered asked the question ‘Do Labels Matter?‘ While they discussed that in their show and blog, I helped spotlight two jazz labels that DO still matter for A Blog Supreme: Tzadik and Nonesuch.

Then today, we put up a ‘First Listen’ for The Dead Weather’s fiery new album Horehound. You can hear that here and read what I had to say about the record.

Here is the video for their single “Treat Me Like Your Mother:”

The Dead Weather – Treat Me Like Your Mother

Oh and if you haven’t checked out my John Vanderslice review on Song of the Day, here it is again.

Reblogging: A Remembrance, A Weird Sax, And A Song For America

Again, I have a few new things go up this week on NPR:

For NPR’s jazz blog, A Blog Supreme, I wrote a quick blurb about Kansas City artist and musician Mark Southerland, and his incredibly weird saxophone creations.

I also wrote a remembrance of jazz bass legend Ray Brown, who died July 2nd 2002, seven years ago today.

And finally, I shine a spotlight on a song by Talking Heads in honor of the Fourth of July.

Reblogging: Icons and Record Club

Had a couple new things go up on the NPR blogs in the last week or two, but thought I’d continue to share them here as well.

Last week, I interviewed the filmmakers behind a fantastic new jazz documentary Icons Among Us. In part one, I talked with one of the co-directors Michael Rivoira for NPR’s jazz blog, A Blog Supreme.

In part two, I talk with the executive producer, John Comerford.

On the All Songs Considered blog I wrote a quick bit about a new Beck project, where he and bunch of musicians and friends will start covering albums in their entirety, starting with the classic The Velvet Underground and Nico. You can read that, and see the first song “Sunday Morning” here.

Since I heard Beck cover this song, I have been revisiting this album, and even learning to play “Sunday Morning.” It’s such a great simple pop song. Check out this cool, rare footage video of an early version of the song:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cWzxJvgWc8[/youtube]

UPDATE 6/26: Beck has posted the second song from The Velvet Underground and Nico, “Waiting For My Man:”

Reblogging: ‘Soft Bulletin’ on NPR’s All Songs Blog

No, this is not becoming a Flaming Lips fan blog, but, I did do a blog entry over at the All Songs Considered Blog today in honor of the tenth anniversary of their amazing record The Soft Bulletin.

Hard to believe this album came out ten years ago this summer. [ENTER I’M FEELING OLD JOKE HERE]

Go there to read…