23
Oct
2007
To understand the Degree of Difficulty inherent in the Nova Singers' season-opening concert, first imagine singing a particular vocal line - be it soprano, alto, tenor, or bass - against the three other vocal lines, and doing it a cappella, to boot.
Then imagine singing your part while those four parts turn into eight.
Then imagine singing your part while those eight parts turn into 12.
And then, imagine staying on your part with 81 people around you attempting the exact same thing.
For
a band that's had its current lineup for five years, the
Cincinnati, Ohio-based Pike is maddeningly difficult to get a handle
on.
On
"Puttin' People on the Moon," the Driver-By Truckers'
Patterson Hood sings a litany of tragedies personal and regional:
"Mary Alice got cancer just like everybody here / Seems everyone I
know is gettin' cancer every year / And we can't afford no
insurance, I been 10 years unemployed / So she didn't get no chemo
so our lives was destroyed / And nothin' ever changes, the cemetery
gets more full / And now over there in Huntsville, even NASA's shut
down too."
Sean Kelly is the founder, lead singer, and guitarist for the Samples, the Colorado-based bluegrass- and reggae-inspired rockers who make their Rock Island Brewing Company debut on October 13. And if you visit Kelly's MySpace page, you'll find a link labeled "My Musical Family Tree," which includes a list of the musicians who've been members of the band in the years since its inception.
In
November, bluesman Michael "Hawkeye" Herman will spend a week at
a festival. At night, he'll perform in concert halls and clubs.
During the day, he'll play in schools, jails, halfway houses, and
other social-service institutions.
On
its new album, Silver Storms,
the Philadelphia-based quintet The A-Sides has crafted a striking mix
of ephemeral, elusive pop in the vein of The Shins; meaty,
arena-ready guitar parts; half-speed songs with patient crescendos;
upbeat power pop; and surprising accelerations.
Red
Hunter thinks he's pretty good at the music business, which is why
he's doing it all wrong.
Among
the 365 songs written, recorded, and released by Paleo over 365
consecutive days, "This Is the Life" is David Strackany's
favorite. "It resonates with me on a personal level more than the
other songs," he said. "That song seems to speak to me as if it
was written for me."
"Pop culture has always been with us, in one form or another," says Grammy-winning musical comedian "Weird Al" Yankovic, "and it always has its ridiculous elements. Especially in the music world."
