Blog Post
There's No Place Like Alone
by Caser
At some point this winter, I will fight off an impulse to move to a remote cabin in the northern Wisconsin wilderness with my battered copy of Thoreau's Walden and try to write and record a set of brilliantly simple folk-pop songs that captures the beauty of isolation. Inevitably, I'll come down off the ledge and throw on Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago instead and live vicariously through the stories, characters, and timbre of these nine songs. Justin Vernon (aka Bon Iver) lived out my flight of imagination during the winter after his band broke up, turning out tunes that are immediately familiar in a Nick Drake vein of hushed thought, but deceptively rich in reclusive imagery and emotional detachment, making this record not merely a fanciful escape, but a meditation on the nature of solitude.
Blog Post
...And A Headbanging New Year
by Caser
Enough Ella Fitzgerald, Burl Ives, Frank Sinatra, and the other silky smooth standards this holiday season. The AADL has the holiday record with more muscle, less string overdubs, and a title that pretty well sells itself (to metalheads everywhere): We Wish You a Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year. Fans of Testament's guttural vocals will appreciate the band's exceptionally heavy rendition of Silent Night, while the Kiss audience rocks out to God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, and Foo Fighters fans hear Dave Grohl chase the red-nosed one in Run Rudolph Run. This holiday CD might not be right for the entire family, but for those about to rock, this one's for you.
Blog Post
Mittenfest of Music to Benefit 826Michigan
by manz
Ypsilanti’s Elbow Room will play host to the 3rd annual Mittenfest. This year’s Mittenfest is three nights of local musicians at one location, where all proceeds will go to 826Michigan. Ann Arbor's 826Michigan is the Michigan chapter of 826National, which was started by Pulitzer nominated author Dave Eggers. 826 is a "non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write." They offer totally free programs, such as tutoring, workshops, drop-in writing and all sorts of other fun things. (And they are housed in a robot store!) Mittenfest is a great way to enjoy quality local bands (such as ) and support a great organization. See here for a list of all the bands.
Elbow Room | 6 South Washington St. Ypsilanti | Dec 26, 27, 28 | Doors open @ 5pm, Music @ 6pm | $5 per night | $12 for 3-day pass
Blog Post
A touch of Ireland
by Maxine
Catch the music of Teada, an acclaimed quintet that plays traditional Irish music. They play at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, December 17 at the Ark. Its five members play guitar, bouzouki, flute, accordian, fiddle and bodrahn (traditional Irish drum). Well known on the international stage, Téada has played major festivals around North America, and in Europe they've drawn crowds of more than 30,000. Tonight they're joined by County Cork resident and former Solas vocalist Karan Casey, whom the Washington Post called "the Irish equivalent of Emmylou Harris." Doors open at 7:30.
Also, check out the Library's great collection of Irish music
Blog Post
A touch of bluegrass in the snow
by Maxine
Tonight, December 12, The Ark presents the RFD Boys a favorite local bluegrass band. Their shows are a mix of great music and funny in-between songs dialogue. Proceeds from the concert go to the Leslie Science Center, a city parks facility that provides environmental education activities to the community. The show starts at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7:30. Get those toes tappin'. Also, check out their cd at the library.
Blog Post
霍元甲
by Employee 37
# 周杰倫一直示國際巨星李連杰為他的偶像，李連杰與Jay惺惺相惜，為了李連杰主演的電影《霍元甲》(Fearless)，終於有機會合作，由周杰倫作主題曲及主唱。而Jay表示能為偶像主演的電影作曲及主唱主題曲，心情興奮。與電影同名主題曲，希望透過一代中國武術宗師霍元甲的一生傳奇及Jay的歌聲，來宣揚積極向上的訊息。此曲及其MV均輯錄於《霍元甲 EP》內。 「霍元甲」︰李連杰最新武術作品《霍元甲》電影主題曲，是周杰倫繼「雙截棍」、「龍拳」之後又一精華創作，以中國大鼓氣勢磅礡地開場，運用古箏、笛子等大量古樂器配樂，是一首中國風嘻哈歌曲；歌詞富有武術精神，以正面訊息宣揚給青少年，喚醒青少年珍惜生命。
# 「獻世」︰此曲是周杰倫在無與倫比紅磡演唱會上特別獻唱於2003年寫給陳小春的抒情歌。Live版別有一番風味，是周杰倫第一首發行的粵語歌曲。(粵語Live版)
隨著電影處女作《頭文字Ｄ》紅遍亞洲，周董年度專輯《十一月的蕭邦》在全亞洲銷量又大賣250萬，Jay更預定於二月飛往東京開唱，舉辦「無與倫比」演唱會。為了回饋樂迷，今次隨《霍元甲 EP》內加送專輯《十一月的蕭邦》12首歌曲MV、「霍元甲」MV及Bonus「周杰倫無與倫比香港紅磡演唱會」片段，讓你視覺上一次過感受鋼琴詩人周杰倫的浪漫古典曲風！
# DVD︰13首「霍元甲＆11月的蕭邦」千萬製作全MV——周杰倫不但為電影「霍元甲」創作及演唱歌曲，更親自執導此曲的 Music Video，在畫面中杰倫帥氣秀出Locking 武扇舞，大膽耍三截棍，大器英姿鐵定讓歌迷們尖叫。此曲「霍元甲」加上《11月的蕭邦》專輯共13支精緻的MV，絕對珍藏！包含新出爐「藍色風暴」和「逆鱗」MV獨家收錄。
# BONUS︰周杰倫「紅磡演唱會」精彩影音剪輯——此次更難得地將「周杰倫The One/無與倫比紅磡演唱會」壓箱寶精彩畫面彙整收錄於DVD中，隨《霍元甲EP》附贈給喜愛杰倫的歌迷朋友們，難得的畫面，不可錯過！
DVD 樣品
Review courtesy of yesasia.com
Click here for English.
Blog Post
A Magical Christmas of Magic
by manz
Yo, drop the needle, it’s Christmas. That’s Albus Dumbledore’s message. And it’s pretty much a great idea. Second only to putting A Magical Christmas of Magic by Harry and the Potters in your CD player, turning up the volume, and dancing around in your Christmas pajamas while you wrap presents. (For the non-wrappers, non-dancers there’s always head-bobbing and hot cocoa sipping.) This CD is such a fun treat. Draco, Neville, Harry, and the gang lend their voice for all original Christmas songs, including; Money for Christmas by The Gringotts Goblin Choir, Seasonal Depression by The Whomping Willows, and All I want for Christmas by Draco and the Malfoys. If you’re into Harry and the Potters but not Christmas, the AADL also has a few other discs to suit your fancy: their fabulous self-titled album, Harry and the Potters and the power of love, and Voldemort can't stop the rock! Put the needle on the record!
Blog Post
Guns N' Roses Unleashes Chinese Democracy After 14 Years in Production
by Caser
The facts surrounding the sixth Guns N' Roses studio record, Chinese Democracy, are straight out of a Christopher Guest mockumentary or a Brian Wilson breakdown. Consider the following: over $13 million spent on production, 14 years of recording and mixing, 3 different record labels, 4 new band members (Axl Rose, sole original member), 4 producers, 17 contributing musicians, a ban on the record in China, not to mention Rose's myriad scandals while in self-imposed exile in the Hollywood hills. The only thing this record is missing is the obligatory Stonehenge track to make it a 'true' rock epic. Whether this overblown release is worth the wait is for the listener to decide; either way, Axl Rose's personal golem has earned its place in the expansive halls of rock egotism.
Blog Post
Remembering Freddie Mercury
by darla
It was on this date, back in 1991, that the world lost one of music's most distinctive voices. Farrokh Bulsara, better known as Freddie Mercury, died November 24th of AIDS-related pneumonia at the young age of 45. Best known as the lead singer of the rock band Queen, Freddie Mercury had a fabulous, powerful, four-octave vocal range, along with an over-the-top persona, that entertained fans around the globe. Head to the AADL and check out Classic Queen, Queen's Greatest Hits and Jazz for hits like Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Under Pressure, Fat Bottomed Girls, Bohemian Rhapsody, Tie Your Mother Down, We Will Rock You, and (my personal favorite) I'm In Love With My Car.
Blog Post
Nonesuch Releases Philip Glass Box Set
by Caser
In 1978, classical composer Philip Glass denounced Minimalism -- the term often applied to his work -- saying, "that word should be stamped out!" Thirty years later, as Nonesuch releases the ten disc set Glass Box: A Nonesuch Retrospective the composer may not have razed the word, but he has expanded his work in order to shed such trappings.
That said, Glass' most famous pieces are built around repetitive chord structures and stripped down instrumentation, where the most subtle changes become fault lines that resound in tonal shifts. The first four discs best exemplify this style, the standouts being his ambitious cycle Music in Twelve Parts and the solo piano elegy Glassworks. Also included are selections from Hydrogen Jukebox, his collaboration with poet-turned-librettist Allen Ginsberg, as well as the film scores for Koyaanisqatsi and Powaqqatsi, and the indelible opera, Einstein on the Beach. Although each disc contains pieces previously available as stand alone recordings, hearing the spectrum of Glass' work from the early 1960s to today clearly demonstrates the depth and breadth of his singular compositional vision.