According to this TMZ report, Pimp C of legendary Texas-based hip-hop group, UGK was found dead in his bed in a Sunset Strip hotel room this morning. There’s a brief posting about it at MTV as well, that says his death has been confirmed by Jive Records. The rapper, born…
BY ANDY VIHSTADT Great Danes Denmark’s Raveonettes have proven themselves again with Lust, Lust, Lust. The album is already out overseas but won’t be available in the US until February 19. Here are a couple of tracks to hold you over. The Raveonettes: “Aly Walk With Me” MP3 The Raveonettes:…
As Tall as Lions Into the Flood 01:18-02:03 of “Into the Flood” Hmm… I’m thinking a bit of Slowdive, maybe a dash of Counting Crows and a taste of the Fray. What kind of soup does that make? Utter, replaceable crap soup. Thanks a lot dudes. You totally owe me…
Youssou N’Dour Rokku Mi Rokka (Nonesuch) On his new disc, veteran Senegalese singer-songwriter Youssou N’Dour continues to contemplate issues of freedom and religious bliss over a musical template blending African and Western pop. Among Rokku Mi Rokka’s highlights is “4-44-44,” which celebrates the joys of everyday life, and such gifts…
Like most tales of triumph and tragedy, the life, career, and untimely death of bassist Jaco Pastorius continues to resonate a full two decades after his passing. Perhaps no other bass player was as essential in meshing unabashed rock with the introspection and complexity of freeform jazz. It’s no wonder…
At times, the oeuvre of Coheed and Cambria can make classic-rock works like The Wall or Tommy seem as though they were based on the flimsiest of gimmicky ideas. Really. The expansive rock quartet from upstate New York has, over the course of about a decade, created a fictional world…
Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan may have embraced new-agey spirituality and wine-collecting in his middle age, but one thing’s for damned certain: The guy’s still got a warped sense of humor. And he’s bound to hit Tool fans where it hurts on this, his first solo release. Keenan has been…
It’s difficult to say that the Goo Goo Dolls have done anything “cool” since they abandoned their brash, sloppy, early-Replacements roots. But the fact that their first compilation — 2001’s What I Learned About Ego, Opinion, Art & Commerce — didn’t include their biggest hits and instead focused on album…
So much about Coheed and Cambria’s work cries out for ridicule: the ’70s-art-rock-derived instrumental wankery, the skyscraping, get-your-Geddy-on vocals… Somehow, though, the act’s fourth album, No World for Tomorrow, works in spite of itself. World represents the final chapter of The Amory Wars, the epic tale of Claudio Kilgannon, who…
This release commemorates the 25th year of a jazz supergroup — pianist Keith Jarrett, bassist Gary Peacock, and drummer Jack DeJohnette — one of the longest-running bands in jazz history. They are frequently referred to as Jarrett’s “standards trio,” as their repertoire consists of jazz and (pre-rock-‘n’-roll-era) pop perennials such…
Frequent New Times contributor Sire Esq has just dropped a new digital mixtape that’s worth checking out. It’s got a solid mix of local and national hip-hop bangers that you need in your life so check it out as links for listening to it and a full tracklist are below:…
It was just a few weeks ago that we covered the story on Cash Money CEO and artist Birdman’s migration to Miami, and just last week we told you about his highly appreciated pre-Thanksgiving turkey giveaway. But as of last night Bryan “Birdman” Williams became a fowl of a different…
BY ANDY VIHSTADT My Grammys Weigh a Ton Outkast has been keeping 10 the Hard Way (most likely dropping in 2009 now, according to this) and next year’s solo effort from Big Boi on the down low. While you’re waiting for info, here’s something new from the duo courtesy of…
Avenged Sevenfold Avenged Sevenfold In the past, Avenged Sevenfold’s meathead simplicity pretty much excused all its bad behavior and even worse musical choices. It was as if the five members picked up, pored over and appropriated the Metal Band Rulebook before ever learning a single guitar chord. But that’s what…
There’s a moment in the 2002 Spanish film Habla con Ella (“Talk With Her”) when an opening shot of a man swimming underwater pans out slowly and a gorgeous song begins to play. With the accompaniment of live guitar and a small orchestra, the tune, “Cucurrucucu Paloma,” instantly captivates all…
For music lovers with a long enough memory, it’s a big deal that Black Janet is reconnecting. Ask anyone who was on the scene in the late ’80s and early ’90s and they’ll tell you that South Florida was once a rich breeding ground for musical talent — much of…
Chris Brown has been well-known to the screaming underaged masses for a minute now, but he broke out to a wider audience at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards. There, he perfectly parroted “The Gloved One” ‘s Moonwalk dance, prompting Justin Timberlake to tell the world he felt old. This…
For a lot of hip-hoppers today, having the hottest and latest production equipment seems like a sure-fire path to success. Although that method works for some, other insatiable groups like Detroit’s Black Reign and Ohkang recognize the value in lo-fi glory. The duo specializes in taking stripped-down soul samples, coupling…
One reason some Americans claim they’re not into “world music” — aside from crummy mainstream radio — is that folks either feel put off by non-English singing or think one would have to be an ethnomusicologist to appreciate it. As to the first concern, there are plenty of songs sung…
After six years of relentless touring, Malian guitarist Habib Koité’s latest recording again draws upon his native roots. Opener “Namania,” an ode to a dark-skinned girl who triggers Koité’s memories of times gone by, perfectly syncs up the call-and-response vocals with Koité’s fluent guitar. “Barra” is a percussion-rich tune with…
Compared with other holidays, Thanksgiving hasn’t inspired bards overmuch. There are no traditional hymns, no instantly identifiable music associated with the day save possibly various football broadcast bumpers. Nevertheless, here and there we find certain songs that — in lyric or in spirit — fit the theme of the day…
Various Artists Tango Around the World Putumayo Although the roots and tradition of Tango hails from the streets and concert halls of Buenos Aires, its influence has been felt throughout the world thanks to the dedicated efforts of musicians like Astor Piazzola, who developed the genre and conquered audiences wherever…
