Who is Harry Nilsson?

Ah, spring in Tucson...

The days are finally getting longer which means I have more time to get things done- like working through my backlogged Netflix queue! Recently I happened to watch a wonderful documentary about a music industry great you may not have heard of: "Who is Harry Nilsson, (and why is everybody talkin' about him?)"

This documentary explores the roller coaster life and career of Harry Nilsson. Nilsson released eighteen albums of varying popularity, but this isn't the story of an overnight success. In fact he kept a job working nights at a bank for years after working in the industry in order to make sure he could get by

For those who may not be familiar with the name Harry Nilsson or just 'Nilsson,' you have probably at least heard his music. Harry Nilsson was prolific. He wrote many well-known songs for his own albums, and was a lyracist for other bands. One of the most catchy and popular songs would be the earworm "Coconut," but Nilsson also wrote the love ballad "Without You," "One" for the band Three Dog Night, "The Lord Must Be In New York City," and many others. 

Muse!

As my husband and I were walking out of the US Airways Center after the Muse concert on March 16, we both said, "That is the best concert I've seen since...." Neither one of us could finish the sentence. Does that mean this is the best concert we have ever seen? That is saying a lot because we are OLD! My husband has seen the Talking Heads play at the Night Train in the late 70s. I saw the Clash's Combat Rock tour and U2's Unforgettable Fire tour. Really? Muse in 2013. The best concert ever??

The Unforgiving

As I was thinking about what to write about for this month, I noticed a theme developing through my recommendations: aside from my post about Jonathan Coulton back in October, I've been suggesting a lot of groups fronted by female vocalists. I'm pleased to say that I won't be breaking that chain; at least, not this month. Instead, I'm going to recommend to you what was easily my favorite album when it was first released, and continues to show up in my playlist every month or so: 2011's the Unforgiving by Within Temptation

Although Evanescence is more well known in the United States and although they did not create the genre, Within Temptation is largely responsible for the current incarnation of the genre known as symphonic metal. Within Temptation was a pioneer in transforming symphonic metal into a genre distinct from its parental styles of gothic and classical metal. Key traits of the symphonic metal genre are an emphasis on atmospheric sound, lyrics that focus on a wide variety of subjects, and a female lead vocalist.

The Unforgiving is Within Temptation's most recent album and it was released along with a companion three-part comic book series that tells the story of the characters hinted at through the album's music. The best feature of the album is the songwriting itself; you're not going to find the typical grunting, hellfire-and-death paeans of most metal here. Instead, you get songs that are complex and rich with both stories and meaning. It's the kind of album that you listen to on repeat; first just to absorb the sound and then, over and over again to decipher the meaning for each song.

For my money, the centerpiece song is Faster. It is at once both reminiscent of the heart and soul of the 80s while showcasing Within Temptation's current musical and stylistic maturity. It's energetic without being overwhelming, deep without being maudlin, exciting without being exhausting. It's the kind of song you'll keep in your exercise playlist as well as one you'll listen to just for the music itself.

Although the Unforgiving is a marked departure from Within Temptation's previous grandiose orchestral thunder of 2004's the Silent Force, in my opinion, this is their most sophisticated and complex album to date, with Faster being not only my favorite song from their entire body of work, but one of my favorite songs, period.

Give it a listen. See if it doesn't end up occupying your CD player or playlist for a few weeks.

Jimi Hendrix

It's pretty amazing that every few years comes a new album of Jimi Hendrix music. Which is pretty amazing since he has been dead since 1970. But the music industry thrives off finding unreleased songs or alternate tracks. And so this year we have a brand new album of Hendrix music and two new singles. Not bad for a guy who was 27 when he died. 

Jimi Hendrix created music that continues to inspire and influence musicians today which his influential style of electric guitar, recording in rock and roll and blues, and headlining the famous Woodstock Concert of 1969. His music is unmistakably original and his own; often covered by others, but never imitated. Here are some CD's, books, a DVD, and free downloads of Hendrix music for you to enjoy:

The Orb featuring David Gilmour "Metallic Spheres"

 

This little treasure was released a few years back and is cause for much rejoicing among fans of the Orb. As for fans of David Gilmour and Pink Floyd, well I've never been one of them, so I couldn't tell you much there. However, I've been a big fan of the Orb since their first LP appeared back in 1991, and Metallic Spheres is a welcome return to the act's early form.  

Festival En El Barrio

Get ready for a great day of music at Festival En El Barrio, taking place on Sunday, March 24 near the Tucson Museum of Art.  Local crowd-pleasers, Calexico, headline the event, but this blogger is most excited about the two preceding bands, Rebirth Brass Band and Y La Orkesta.  Read on to hear more about this exciting outdoor music event, coming to a Barrio near you!

Local bands of past and present

I'm just going to do a short little piece on some local bands of past and present that you might enjoy.

Calexico:  I'm sure most of us are familiar with this great local band. I think I first became aware of them between ten and fifteen years ago. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I swear they used to hire themselves out for weddings (or maybe just the weddings of some really cool people!) I'm more partial to their older stuff, although I'm really enjoying the new one, Algiers. Some of my favorite albums of theirs include The Black Light (1998), Hot Rail (2000), and Carried To Dust (2008), which is probably my favorite.

Sid And Nancy: Love Kills

"In the late 70's, when I was living in Los Angeles,  there was a strange double murder/suicide in New York.  Sid Vicious, a pop singer, was arrested for the murder of his fiancée, Nancy Spungen.  He committed suicide before he could be brought to trial.  They were both junkies and their lives were pretty bleak.  But why take things to such extremes?  I don't know.  Never mind the bollocks. Watch the film."
                                                                            -Alex Cox (Director of Sid and Nancy)

I was delighted to find that the library owns the soundtrack to the 1986 cult classic Sid and Nancy. An alluring and tragic look at the initial meeting, relationship and ultimate deaths of Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious and his other half Nancy Spungen.

Read on for track listing,

Kate Boy - Northern Lights

Everything we touch, it turns to gold. A few months back, the first single from Swedish electronic outfit Kate Boy swept the internet with the force of a blizzard. Northern Lights was a fitting name for the track: icy but inviting, distant yet warm all at once. Over a throbbing bass line that beats like a buried heart and chilling synths that could have been cut from a glacier, the lead singer bares her soul to the listener. But it is only those seven words that matter, Everything we touch, it turns to gold. This is Kate Boy confidently declaring their talent to the world. And wow, what a declaration! It is hard to describe the final breakdown of the song, with synths soaring like comets overhead, but it is a glorious thing to hear.