LeGone

I thought the following piece of news was very relevant to what just happened to Cleveland:

GREENWICH, Conn., July 8, 1990 -- Michael Jordan announced on national television he's leaving Chicago to join the Detroit Pistons. Jordan said it was tough to bolt Chicago, where he was the most popular athlete in many years, because he thinks he has a better chance to win a championship if he plays with Pistons star Isiah Thomas. Jordan said by playing together, he and Thomas "won't have the pressure of going out and scoring 30 every night."

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/michael_rosenberg/07/08/lebron.event/index.html?cnn=yes&hpt=C2#ixzz0tBsGQblK

New Choral Sounds

As always, John Schaefer has raised the bar for me this week.

This past weekend, I was listening to his exceptional radio program "New Sounds" and discovered another batch of incredible choral music that ranges from this century back to the 11th Century. What I love about John Schaefer is that he combines the new and the old, and its seamless, wonderful, and better than anything you could every expect. The man is a musical genius.

Since most of you are not fortunate to have New Sounds on your local NPR station, I have posted a recent episode (#2811) for your listening pleasure. In this episode, you will hear the following artists:

ARTIST(S)	RECORDING	CUT(S)	SOURCE
Hilliard Ensemble & Jan Garbarek	Officium	Parce Mihi Domine [6:30]	ECM #1525 www.ecmrecords.com *
Alfred Schnittke	Concerts for Mixed Chorus	Sabran je pesen sikh [8:00]	Chandos 9332 www.chandos.net OR Download from Emusic.com
Hilliard Ensemble & Jan Garbarek	Officium	Beata Viscera [6:30]	See above.
Eric Whitacre	Cloudburst	Cloudburst [8:30]	Hyperion #67543 www.hyperion-records.co.uk*
Einojuhani Rautavaara	Sacred Works for Mixed Chorus	Canticum Mariae Virginus [7:30]	Ondine #935 ** www.ondine.net*
Sequentia	Saints-Music of Hildegard von Bingen	O Euchari, in leta via ambulasti [7:00]	Deutsch Harmonia Mundi #77378 Available at Amazon.com*
Shirley Rumsey	Music from the Time of the Templars	Viderunt Omnes, excerpt [3:00]	Naxos 8.503192 www.naxos.com OR Download from Emusic.com

Enjoy!

And Now for Something Completely Different...

I am from Cleveland, and there is nothing like a little bit of Bone Thugs on the cusp of the weekend...

Enjoy this little didy from the Austrian dub-trance group Kruder + Dorfmeister, inspired by my friendly neighbors Bone Thugs 'N Harmony:

Charlotte Gainsbourg's New Album "IRM"

I think the reason I really like the relatively-new Charlotte Gainsbourg album IRM is because it was almost entirely written and produced by Beck. I think Pitchfork, in their infinite wisdom and smarminess, is right to say that this is the best album he has produced in seven years - Sea Change was produced in 2002…

Although Sea Change was clearly my favorite Beck album of all time (it is incredible, you must pick it up), this album is clearly enhanced with Gainsbourg’s vocals which add a level of indelible beauty – something contrasting with Beck’s sorrowful, frank voice. “Voyage” and “Trick Pony” are excellent tracks on IRM

Go here to listen to the album

Ravel’s Rapsodie Espagnole

On such a dreary, drizzling afternoon, I can’t help but get lost in a little of Maurice Ravel’s dreamy Rapsodie Espagnole. Ravel, one of my favorite French composers, wrote this little didy in 1907 and in so doing, successfully captured the essence of Spain from the foreigners perspective. Having a partly Swiss, partly Basque background, Ravel was always torn between his father’s pragmatic background and his mother’s more sensual side, ultimately reveling in the sensual – the reason he composed such incredible works in the Spanish idiom.

For those who are new to this piece, here it is – in two parts – for your enjoyment:

Part 1: Prélude à la Nuit and Malaguena

Part 2: Habanera and Feria

Big Boi and The Physics

So I haven't been listening to much hip hop lately, but I figured I would do a run through of a couple noteworthy hits/groups.

First, Big Boi's song "Shutterbug" is about as good as commercial hip hop can get. This song reeks classic Outkast, but incorporates a nod to George Clinton-esque/Morris Day and the Time-esque funk that makes you want to shake your shack:

In an entirely different vein of hip hop is The Physics, a west-coast (the best coast) group that harks back to the days of A Tribe Called Quest and People Under the Stairs. You can't help but turn into a Jello Mold after hearing the opening beats of the track "High Society"

Enjoy these!

Local Natives - Gorilla Manor

On my ride into work today, I popped in what is becoming one of my favorite albums for this summer. The album "Gorilla Manor" is by Local Natives, an indie band from Silver Lake, LA. Their sound is perfect for the summer, as it incorporates ambient vocals and heady guitar riffs. A really good pop album.

Listen below to "Gorilla Manor" in its entirety. My favorite tracks are "Sun Hands," "Wide Eyes," and "World News":