Picks of the Week
Wednesday, May 27, 2009 - 07:15 AM
This week’s picks take us to the cradles of civilization, the depths of YouTube and an uninhabited island in Massachusetts. Plus, download a free track from the new Grizzly Bear album, Veckatimest.
Kronos Quartet, Floodplain (Nonesuch)
The latest record from the groundbreaking Kronos Quartet presents music from the riverside areas where human culture first flowered – and where a lot of humanity’s current troubles can be found. One lullaby on the album is from southern Iran, home to a community descended from African slaves. Composers from Iraq, Serbia and Lebanon are represented, and Kronos also plays a tune by the Palestinian electronica band called Ramallah Underground. The new album concludes with a stunning work for strings and some taped sounds from Serbian composer Aleksandra Vrebalov. --John Schaefer [Amazon]
Kutiman, ThruYOU: Kutiman Mixes YouTube
The 27-year-old Israeli musician known as Kutiman has created something truly unique. ThruYOU is an album of seven original songs, each built from dozens of fragments of video clips of mostly amateur musicians. Each is selected from private recitals and music lessons on YouTube. More than 100 such clips were used in the project, with 22 featured in this track alone, called 'The Mother of All Funk Chords.' Trust us: Kutiman’s music is best appreciated by watching it. In this final song, Kutiman blends snippets of a jazz bassist, a string quartet, and a young rapper hanging out on a street corner. -- Brian Wise [thru-you.com]
Grizzly Bear, Veckatimest (Warp)
Named for an uninhabited island in Massachusetts, 'Veckatimest' is art-rock band Grizzly Bear’s first full-length album since 2006. Tracks like the opening song, called Southern Point, make it worth the wait. If you’re spending the summer at the beach – you might consider bringing this new Grizzly Bear record instead of a novel. The dozen songs on “Veckatimest” are complex and fun – and they reward multiple listens. The composer Nico Muhly lends a hand on several tracks, including choral arrangements for the Brooklyn Youth Choir on 'Cheerleader.' --Joel Meyer [Amazon]
Download 'Cheerleader' [MP3]
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