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Music's 25 Most Dastardly Villains

It's a list that only Blender magazine could dream up: 25 of music's most reprehensible liars, cheaters, scammers, and shysters. Blender.com editor Mike Errico reveals the chief offenders.

Our blog: John Schaefer on music villains

Blender.com: Music's 25 Most Dastardly Villains

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CD Picks of the Week

Shantel, et al.: "The Edge of Heaven (Auf der Anderen Seite)," soundtrack

Coming soon to a theater near you is the latest film by the Turkish-German director Fatih Akin. Called “The Edge of Heaven,” is sports a soundtrack that mirrors the mix of cultures and generations in the film. Much of the score is by Shantel, the German DJ and producer best-known for his work with gypsy brass bands. Blending traditional Turkish sounds with the latest from the clubs of Berlin, Shantel creates a kind of audio road movie to match the emotional journeys of Akin’s main characters. – picked by John Schaefer

The Edge of Heaven/Auf der Anderen Seite is available on emusic.com.

Philippe Quint, violin; William Wolfram, piano – Music by John Corigliano and Virgil Thomson (Naxos)

Coming soon to a taxi near you… Violinist Philippe Quint recently made international headlines after he left his 285-year-old Stradivarius violin -- worth about $4 million -- in the back of a New Jersey cab. After it was returned by the driver, Quint thanked him with a private 30-minute performance at Newark Airport's taxi waiting area. You’re now hearing that famous fiddle from a new album featuring pieces by John Corigliano and Virgil Thomson. This is the world-premiere recording of Corigliano’s “Red Violin Caprices,” dazzling adaptations of his score for the film “The Red Violin.” – picked by Brian Wise

This selection is available from Amazon.com.

Mariana Sadovska, "Borderland" (self-release)

Our next CD pick comes from singer Mariana Sadovska. She was born in Lviv, Western Ukraine, and studied piano and theater acting. In this album, Borderland, she combines both. This is Mariana’s voice, but she is actually portraying the women of Eastern Ukraine, where she traveled for ten years collecting songs and stories. They are songs about love, sorrow and melancholy that have survived the Soviet era just in an oral form, until now. Mariana’s powerful performance makes you feel you are there. - picked by Gisele Regatao

More about Mariana Sadovska here.

Fleet Foxes, “Sun Giant” (Sub Pop)

Our final pick is from an act Soundcheck first encountered at this year’s South by Southwest music festival. Passing by a jam-packed club late one night, one of our producers thought he heard Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young in their prime. In fact, it was a shaggy Seattle-based quintet called Fleet Foxes. Their hippie sound might remind you of the glory days of L.A. folk rock or the catch-all revivalism of The Band. Still, Fleet Foxes make it all sound fresh...and a little spooky. – picked by Joel Meyer

"Sun Giant" is available from Amazon.com.

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Abigail and the Sparrow Quartet

While cultivating roots sounds in the all-female string band Uncle Earl, clawhammer banjo player Abigail Washburn also immersed herself in Chinese culture and language. Her latest project is the Sparrow Quartet, which blends traditional American and Chinese styles. Among the quartet’s ranks: master banjo player Béla Fleck, who also produced its debut. Abigail and the Sparrow Quartet join us for a live performance.

Abigail Washburn performs tonight at Castle Clinton in Battery Park at 8 p.m.

Abigail Washburn's MySpace Page

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