New Releases February 2009

Friday, February 27, 2009

It's that time of the month again for our monthly program of new releases. John Schaefer once again picks through the bucketloads of CDs that have flooded his office to find new releases worthy of showcasing in tonight's program. We'll hear from the Captain Beefheart tribute project, Fast n' Bulbous, who have just released "Waxed Oops", along with some Sami/Indian/Mongolian singing from Oreka TX. Perhaps we'll also hear some music from Italy for steel string guitar, some excellent new Afropop, and much more.

PROGRAM # 2905, February 2009 New Releases (First aired on Fri. 2/27/09)

Indo-Electronica

Thursday, February 26, 2009

For this New Sounds, there’s music that marries the grooves of modern electronica to traditional songs and dances of India. From the brand new release, Devotion, hear the latest from Algerian DJ Cheb I Sabbah, who blends devotional music from the Indian subcontinent with electronica. Listen for vocal contributions from some of the region's top talent including Shubha Mugdal, Anup Jalota, RiffatSultana and Master Saleem. Plus, The Moebius Trips and others.

Big Band Nu-Jazz

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

For this New Sounds, we’ll hear some instrumental post-rock-infused jazz from the Jacob Fred Jazz Orchestra – with areas of both electronic soundscapes and futurist hip hop. There’s also backwoods jazz with a bit of heavy slop from Fight the Big Bull. Plus, listen to cuts from the classic “Voice of Chunk” from the Lounge Lizards, and music from a Buffalo, NY-based group David Kane’s Them Jazz Beards. And much more.

Mardi Gras Music

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Today is Mardi Gras, and to celebrate, here's an hour of music inspired by the brass bands and Mardi Gras bands of New Orleans. We'll take a listen to David Byrne's "The Knee Plays," Frank London & The Klezmer Brass All-Stars' festive record, "Carnival Conspiracy," and the ultimate party band the Revolutionary Snake Ensemble. Plus, music by Lester Bowie’s Brass Fantasy, and more.

The World on Four Strings

Monday, February 23, 2009

For this New Sounds, hear violin music inspired by the Cajun, Norwegian, Balkan, Near Eastern, and Indian traditions. There are works by Steve Tibbetts & Knut Hamre, Kaila Flexer & Gari Hegedus, Michael Galasso, and more. With any luck, we'll also hear some Celtic Baltic Sephardic music from Teslim, some Norwegian meets Cajun-flavored Louisiana polka from Frigg, and others.

Music, Nature, and Technology

Sunday, February 22, 2009

"There is music in nature and nature in music. What may be most wonderful is that we can love and be immersed by both without needing to understand how the two are forever intertwined. It is enough to know that they are," says musician, composer, author and philosopher-naturalist David Rothenberg in "A Sense of Soundscape." Possibly on another side of the spectrum, is the musician and artist known as Scanner, a.k.a Robin Rimbaud, whose audio works range from the use of ‘found sound’ conversations which earned him the nickname ‘telephone terrorist’ to meditative use of tape-loops, ambient albums, and composed electronic soundscapes for film and ballet. For this New Sounds, listen to in-studio performance of music for clarinet and two laptops by David Rothenberg and the audio artist Scanner. Look forward to music with recordings of nightingales, grasshoppers, crickets, Beluga whales and an orgy of copulating animals.

Chatter and Soundscapes

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Hear Paul Lansky's hiphop-inspired 'chatter' piece, on this edition of New Sounds. "Wordless. Chatter of Pins," is a response to an invitation by Keith and Mende Obadike to contribute a track of music inspired by hiphop. Also from his new release, Music Box, listen to the introverted lyricism of his "Pavane Noir." Plus, music by soprano saxophonist, improviser/composer, and acoustician Jonas Braasch. From his recent "Global Reflections," we'll hear pieces formed with nature's ability to align independent events to form interesting patterns. That and much more.

Chamber-Rock

Friday, February 20, 2009

Hear some Chamber-rock from the Nels Cline Singers (an instrumental group), whose latest, Draw Breath, features San Francisco Bay Area rhythm section aces Devin Hoff on acoustic bass and Scott Amendola on drumset, percussion, and live electronics/loops/treatments. On an excited note, the special guest on the record is Nels Cline's bandmate in Wilco, Glenn Kotche! Also, listen to new music from the collective known as NOW Ensemble along with Mico Nonet's ambient chamber music. Plus, the magic release from the Kronos Quartet with Wu Man playing a work by Terry Riley. And of course, much more.

PROGRAM #2755, Electroacoustic Chamber Music (First aired on Tuesday, 1/15/08)

Fado, Flamenco, and Tango

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Inspired by Spanish filmmaker Carlos Saura's trilogy of "music movies," we hear Portuguese fado, Spanish flamenco, and Argentine tango in various permutations, including music by Mariza, Mariza & Miguel Poveda, Astor Piazzolla, Rafael Jimenez, and others. Some are sampled from the most recent of Saura's films, "Fados," like Amália Rodrigues, Cesaria Evora, and possibly even Caetano Veloso. There's probably also music from "Flamenco," by Paco de Lucia, Enrique Morente, and Carmen Linares, plus a sampling of traditional tango music from composers such as Piazzolla, Canario, Salgan, and Filiberto, used in "Tango."

New Percussion Works

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Hear a groove-centered propulsive work by San Diego-based composer, performer and improviser Christopher Adler tonight on this New Sounds - just one of several works for percussion. Hear Adler's "Ecstatic Volutions in a Neon Haze." Also, there's some percussive music about architecture from drummer/composer John Hollenbeck. Ethos Percussion Group plays his "Ziggurat, (interior)," requiring teamwork from each of the four artisans to construct the sacred structure. Also, something brand new from Gamelan Son of Lion and more.

Vocal Works

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

For this New Sounds, sample vocal works by the Norwegian singer/songpoet Synnøve Rognlien, some with Gregorian chant and flamenco singing. Also, listen to Anne-Lise Berntsen & Nils-Henrik Asheim, who combine Norwegian religious folksong and organ improvisation. Then there’s Gaelic soprano Nóirín Ní Riain and the monks of the Glenstal Abbey who recreate the medieval liturgy’s choral masterworks; hymns, laments, carols, and prayers. Plus music from Trio Mediaeval, Hildegard von Bingen, and more.

New Acoustic Guitar

Monday, February 16, 2009

Listen to balmy fingerstyle guitar shapes and patterns from South African guitarist Guy Buttery on this edition of New Sounds. Buttery also plays the mandolin and sitar, and together with special guest violinist Angus Kerr, and double bass, hear some of his acoustic experimental tone poems. Plus, treat yourself to the musical narrative of fellow fingerstyle player, the Italian Pino Forastiere, who falls in the Michael Hedges camp, with his tapping, muting, and alternate tunings. We'll also hear from New York's own Dominic Frasca, the inventive guitarist who builds his own instruments to have more than just 6 strings available to take on transcriptions and original works. And much more.

New Eastern Orthodox Singing

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Listen to new choral music from Eastern Europe, or based on Eastern Orthodox singing on this edition of New Sounds, including John Tavener's Out of the Night, a gentle, simple setting for tenor and viola of the single word Alleluia. Also, listen to Alfred Schnittke's Psalms of Repentance, whose texts are taken from a 16th-century collection of Old Russian writings, and reflect the melodic and rhythmic inflection of Russian liturgical chant. Plus, music by Arvo Pärt, Veljo Tormis, and the Bulgarian Women’s Chorus.

New Music from Threatened Cultures

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Dig into some music from threatened cultures on this New Sounds program, including the Garifuna of Central America, the Sami of northern Scandinavia, the Wulu Bunun of central Taiwan, and more. Listen to music from Watina by Andy Palacio & The Garifuna Collective, which strives to keep the Garifuna culture alive and relevant. There's also the Sámi oral tradition of joiking, through the music of Ande Somby and the group Vajas, who fuse voice, violin and arctic sound voyages. Plus, cellist David Darling & The Wulu Bunun, music by Telek, Mari Boine, and others.

New Soundtracks

Friday, February 13, 2009

For the score to “The Kite Runner,” Spanish composer Alberto Iglesias drew inspiration from Afghan music, while drawing a bit on Pakistani and Persian music as well, bringing in an Iranian zither here, a wailing electric guitar there, and the haunting vocals of Iran-born, U.S.-based singer Sussan Deyhim. On this New Sounds, we’ll listen to some of that score, along with some other new film music, including Jocelyn Pook’s new score for “Brick Lane,” which features the voices of Natacha Atlas, Manickam Yogeswaran and Najma Akhtar. Also, we’ll hear from Carter Burwell’s score for the Coen brother’s “No Country for Old Men.” Plus, the music by Joby Talbot for the documentary about polar bears and walruses, “Arctic Tale,” and more.

PROGRAM #2752, New Music Soundtracks (First aired on Monday, 1/7/08)

Concert Works From the Clubs

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Tim Brady and the five member Brisbane, Australia-based group Topology share a passion for the intimacy and immediacy of small ensemble music and getting on stage and playing it like there’s no tomorrow. For this New Sounds, we’ll listen to some of “SCAT,” Brady’s rhythmic, jazz-influenced chamber work which also features the speaking voices of the Topology musicians, who each scat their life stories in 30 seconds in the final movement. Also, we’ll hear from composer, virtuoso guitarist, and computer programmer Nick Didkovsky, and his most recent release, “Ice Cream Time.” Plus, Jonny Greenwood’s score from the film “There Will Be Blood.” Incidentally, multi-instrumentalist Greenwood’s long-time side project happens to be a little band called Radiohead, in which he plays guitar.

Guitar Music from L. A.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

There's plenty of new guitar music from the Los Angeles area to be heard on this edition of New Sounds. From his latest release, "Coward," Wilco guitarist Nels Cline remembers his murdered friend and colleague Rod Poole with a nearly symphonic piece for microtonal guitar called "Rod Poole’s Gradual Ascent to Heaven." Plus, listen to Poole’s own "Dark Light Approaching Reason," also for microtonal guitar. There's also pedal steel guitar music from fellow L.A. composer Chas Smith, and more.

World Music with Horns

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Listen to some Jewish-Cuban jazz with horns from "Odessa/Havana" by trumpeter, composer and long-time leader of the Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band David Buchbinder along with music that celebrates the the elusive Jewish community of Cuba by Roberto Rodriguez. Plus, some Afro-Cuban Afrobeaty highlife from San Francisco band Aphrodesia from their latest "Lagos by Bus." Also, music by Brooklyn Qawwali Party, the Either/Orchestra and more.

Jon Hassell's Sound World

Monday, February 09, 2009

Trumpeter, composer and electronic pioneer Jon Hassell helped shape the nascent "world music" movement in the late 70s. For this New Sounds, he joins us to present his newest works from his latest release (the first for ECM in over 20 years), "Last night the moon came dropping its clothes in the street." Otherworldly, melodic and sensual, Hassell's effort is a blend of African violin - suggesting the Middle East, Norwegian guitar playing and live sampling, understated pulses of percussion, improvised music and electronics, which result in some astounding real-time soundscapes.

New Music for Silent Films: Blackmail

Sunday, February 08, 2009

From the New Sounds Live/Silent Film series, the Alloy Orchestra performs their score to the Alfred Hitchcock movie "Blackmail" on keyboards, clarinet, accordion, percussion, and their famed “rack of junk,” at the World Financial Center.

Totally Tubular

Saturday, February 07, 2009

When you force air through a tube, sound results – whether that tube is an Australian didjeridoo, a length of plastic hose, a toy whirly, or the human throat. Each gets a workout on this New Sounds program in pieces by Michael Fahres, Wendy Mae Chambers, Sarah Hopkins, and Nick Didkovsky.

New Music for Silent Films: The Eagle, The General

Friday, February 06, 2009

From the New Sounds Live/Silent Film series, the Alloy Orchestra performs new music for the silent films “The Eagle” and “The General,” on keyboards, clarinet, accordion, percussion, and their famed “ton of junk,” at the World Financial Center.

New Music for Silent Film

Thursday, February 05, 2009

Soundtracks to silent films, both old and new (the films, that is – the music is all new) is what we're serving up on this New Sounds. Hear from the UK-based Cinematic Orchestra and their score for the silent film classic, "Man with a Movie Camera." Also, from the Godfrey Reggio film Koyaanisqatsi, hear music by Philip Glass. Glass had to write music of nature as well as music of technology to accompany the time-lapse photography of cities and many natural landscapes across the United States. Plus, Gary Lucas invents a score of solo guitar music for the 1920 Paul Wegener silent classic The Golem. And, we'll hear selections from "Gotham," Michael Gordon's filmic symphony in collaboration with filmmaker Bill Morrison, starring New York City.

Cross-cultural Music

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Listen to a veritable melting pot of music for this New Sounds. Quebec meets the Middle East in the music of the McDades, folk-jazz with a dash of tabla or satoor. Then Norwegian and bluegrass fiddles mix in the odd chamber group called QQQ. We'll hear from their debut release, "Unpacking the Trailer." Plus, Brazil, Africa, and India come together in the work of Codona, from a new retrospective collection, and more.

"Path of Miracles" Live

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

From the New Sounds Live concerts at the World Financial Center, hear the US premiere of Joby Talbot's extraordinary choral piece, "The Path of Miracles," for chorus, viola and bells. Judith Clurman conducts the Talbot Project from this performance, recorded in November of 2007.

Full Circle and Lukas Foss

Monday, February 02, 2009

For this New Sounds, hear three compositions written specifically for Canadian jazz-pop artist Holly Cole by Gavin Bryars, as played by the CBC Radio Orchestra. Also, experience Gavin Bryars' "Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet,” the late minimalist piece for orchestra and tape that opens with a homeless man singing a simple melody that is looped over and over again for the entire 74 minutes of the album. Slowly, Bryars weaves in a beautiful string arrangement that develops underneath the melody, and singer Tom Waits joins in at the end. Then, hear songs by Tom Waits as sung by Holly Cole, who has never really cared whether the material she covered “belonged” in jazz or not. And more.

Global Pop

Sunday, February 01, 2009

Listen to the Caribbean-infused music - with a bit of French and West African roots for good measure - by Andy Palacio and the Garifuna Collective on this edition of New Sounds. From "Watina," hear personal songs, short, with simple lyrics, with rhythms extracted from ritual music, like that of a traditional healing ceremony, or from a kind of wake, but each with the intent of keeping the Garifuna culture alive and relevant. Plus, hear the latest from Vieux Farka Touré, the son of Ali, featuring guest appearances by kora player and guiding hand Toumani Diabaté. Also, global pop by Celso Fonseca, and more.