Dream Police - Seattle Gay News

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Interview with Band of Horses coming June 29 sub pop records Band of Horses Seattle Gay News is your source for the coolest interviews with the hottest music artists. Thus far in 2007, Chris Cornell, Silversun Pickups, Joshua Radin, The Bravery, Angelique Kidjo, Albert Hammond Jr., Patty Griffin and The Reason have all interviewed with us. We’re honored to now add Sub Pop recording artist Band of Horses to the list, with a one-on-one interview in our upcoming June 29 issue. Formerly of Seattle, Band of Horses was among the prestigious choices for 2006’s New Pantheon Award, the year’s best albums chosen by a select panel of musicians. Speaking of year-end mentions, the trio’s widely acclaimed Everything All the Time also made the SGN’s Top Ten Albums/CDs of 2006 list. Pick up a copy of our newspaper on June 29 and get familiar with Band of Horses, who will perform live at their sold-out performance at The Showbox on July 2. New CDs from tried and true artists by Larry Nichols Philadelphia Gay News Special to the SGN Bjork Volta Atlantic Records We here at PGN are convinced that Bjork is not of this world. Yes, we know the former Sugarcubes lead singer is from Iceland, but it’s obvious that she just has her mail sent there and uses the far-off island country as a jumping-off point to teleport to whatever alien planet or mythical realm she lives in where candy rains from the sky and small fuzzy animals have butterfly wings and discuss philosophy with you over tea and biscuits. Anyone familiar with Bjork’s music knows that her perfectly angelic voice can make you like anything. She could sing the ingredients to a bottle of shampoo and make it work. This is probably why she has been able to consistently emerge from Iceland every three or four years with a new collection of pop strangeness that is sure to have most of us mesmerized and dumbfounded by its sheer brilliance. Bjork’s latest release, “Volta,” is no exception. On this latest sonic trip, Bjork fuses orchestral arrangements, off-kilter tribal and techno beats and sparse electronica to dizzying effect. “Earth Intruders” is a galloping romp that sounds like Bjork leading a Martians marching band in a Mardi Gras parade. “Wanderlust” is curiously schizophrenic pop pulsing with techno fury and an undercurrent of majestic horns. “The Dull Flame of Desire,” a duet with Anthony Hegarty, is a heartfelt ballad that teases the listener with a percussive tension that threatens to explode, but never actually materializes. And the brilliance keeps flowing from there, especially when Bjork goes Devomeets-Rage-Against-the-Machine crazy on the fist-pumping “Declare Independence.” “Volta” is collection of songs as adventurous and satisfying as anything Bjork has ever done. Fans of her music that might have found albums like 2004’s “Medulla” a little challenging will delight in this album’s playful and lush sounds punctuated with powerful electronic rhythms. Erasure Light at the End of the World Mute Records When artists have been in the business as long as synth-pop duo Erasure (over 20 years and counting), they tend to get more reflective and introspective with each new release and focus on serious themes of growth and maturing. Many times, this growth and quest for maturity bore the crap out of us, the longtime fans. We’d like to point fingers at Madonna, Prince and Depeche Mode at this point, but all of their last studio albums backed them away from the cliff, leaving George Michael and Janet Jackson there to ponder Wham! and Jackson family reunions, respectively. Thankfully, this is not the case with Erasure or their new album, “Light at the End of the World,” which finds the British duo (Andy Bell and Vince Clarke) returning to form after their 2006 foray into acoustic music with “Union Street” and continuing to do what they do best. “Light at the End of the World” is filled with the exuberant synthesizer pop early Erasure fans will find familiar, but not tired or dated, especially on songs like “Fly Away” and “Sunday Girl.” Erasure knows the reason we like them and the reason we will always have a soft spot for them is they know how to make soulful and infectious songs that make you want to shake it on the dance floor, whether it’s an upbeat number like “Sucker For Love” or more subdued affairs like “Storm in a Teacup” and “Glass Angel.” © 2007 Philadelphia Gay News 14 Seattle Gay News PRIDE ‘07 Music June 15, 2007
The Horrors get scary at The Crocodile Café, Terence Blanchard chills out at Jazz Alley by Lorelei Quenzer and Jessica Browning SGN A&E Writers The Horrors w/ Thee Emergency, Skullbot Wednesday, June 20- 9pm The Crocodile - $10 Nothing very interesting has come out of the British rock scene of late, unless you count The Libertines; but that was ages ago and muddied up by clammy, creepy Pete Doherty ever since. That is until last month, when the much-anticipated debut album from London’s The Horrors was released in America. Appearing in Seattle in support of Strange House, this very polarizing group of fright-rock hopefuls is astonishingly different and promise to put on a show like no other. Perhaps it’s the fashionable disdain of jaded music critics fueling The Horrors. Looking a bit like The Cure meets a zombified Herman’s Hermits, they’re a scary looking crew in only the way that the very young (all five members are in their early 20’s) can pull off because no one else has the nerve to. They come with Terence Blanchard formidable names as well - Faris Baduwan (vocals), Tomethy Furse (bass), Joshua Von Grimm (guitar), Spider Webb (organ) and Coffin Joe (drums). Don’t dismiss them on the grounds of image alone. Haven’t the Cramps and Nick Cave already proved that frightful can be cool? Musically, these five Londoners have substance and even better, fresh ears and no boundaries. Strange House is noticeably better than their initial EP, which was promising but didn’t make much of a mark stateside. Vocalist Baduwan is the first to admit his band is just beginning and always hungry for inspiration. You can tell they’re the real thing, all fashion and eyeliner aside. Which if you think about it, is the true spirit of punk; they’re not pretending to be smug and neat, just giving all they’ve got and being who they want to be. New single “She Is The New Thing” is a ferocious assault, infused with more energy than anything I’ve heard in a long time. Impressive. These guys have monstrous reserves of ambition and promise to thrill. - J. Browning Artist essentials: Check out the video for “She Is The New Thing” on www.myspace. com - it’s as if Edgar Allen Poe’s feverish dreams devoured A-ha’s “Take On Me”. Must be seen to be believed. Terence Blanchard Friday-Saturday, June 22-23 7:30pm and 9:30pm; Sunday, June 24 - 7:30pm Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley $23.50 New Orleans native - and Grammy-winning trumpeter - Terence Blanchard is probably best known for his collaboration with director Spike Lee. Blanchard has scored 12 of Lee’s films, including Inside Man, 25th Hour, Summer of Sam, Malcolm X and Jungle Fever. But despite his involvement in film and television, Blanchard distinctly regards himself primarily as a jazz musician. He successfully juggles touring with his band while undertaking outside projects. “Nothing can beat being a jazz musician, playing a club, playing a concert,” Blanchard is quoted as remarking in his press notes. “When I stood next to Sonny Rollins at Carnegie Hall and listened to him play, that was it for me.” The New Orleans native first picked up the trumpet in elementary school, and was also coached at home by his operasinging father. In high school he came under the tutelage of Ellis Marsalis, and after graduating he attended Rutgers University on a music scholarship. One of his professors was so impressed with Blanchard he helped get him a touring gig with Lionel Hampton’s band. Wynton Marsalis later recommended Blanchard as his replacement in Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. Blanchard’s most recent release on the Blue Note label, Flow, was produced by the artist and four- courtesy of JAZZ ALLEY The Horrors time Grammy winner Herbie Hancock. The 2005 album was the first time since Dexter Gordon’s The Other Side of ‘Round Midnight (1987) that Hancock produced a project other than his own; he also plays piano on two of the album’s tracks (“Benny’s Tune” and “The Source”). “We played together a few times and when it came to produce this record, I wanted - needed - to have Herbie’s creative ability and just his approach to work with,” Blanchard says. “He has played with a bunch of people and he’s done a lot of things. I mean, he’s forgotten more music than I could ever know. It’s been a lifechanging experience.” “What you hear on this record is the way we play live,” Blanchard continues. “That’s the thing about this band. What we’re talking about is their musicianship. They find spaces to put things in spots that make sense.... I’m really having so much fun with this band.” Noted for his unique African-fusion style of playing, Blanchard is currently serving as Artistic Director at the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance at the University of Southern California. On tour with Blanchard are several of the musicians from Flow: Brice Winston (saxophones), Aaron Parks (piano), Derrick Hodge (acoustic and electric bass) and Kendrick Scott (drums). - L. Quenzer Artist Essentials: 2005’s Flow, Mo’ Better Blues original soundtrack. STOCK PHOTOGRAPH June 15, 2007 PRIDE ‘07 Music Seattle Gay News 15
Page 1 and 2: Seattle gay news pride ‘07 June 1
Page 3 and 4: Bette Midler is coming to Caesars P
Page 5 and 6: SGN PRESENTS SUMMER MUSIC PREVIEW:
Page 7 and 8: Hello Betty: An interview with Bett
Page 9 and 10: QueerFest CC
Page 11 and 12: June 15, 2007 PRIDE ‘07 Music Sea
Page 13: Seattle Symphony Orchestra: The gre
Page 17 and 18: POLICE continued from cover Prog-Ro
Page 19 and 20: June 15, 2007 PRIDE ‘07 Music Sea

Dream Police - Seattle Gay News

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?