Jeff Stalnaker

We just got back from Bonnaroo! It was awesome. So awesome, in fact, that I’m having trouble coming up with words to describe it.  Check my pics out on Picasa Web Albums.

Wired is running a story about little known jass saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa whose latest release is comprised of songs that were constructed using mathematic and cryptographic algorithms. The article includes a number of sample clips from the album. The songs sound much like a typical jazz compilation, but when you are aware of and listening for them the patterns can be heard. Very interesting stuff.

technorati tags:jazz, cryptography, number, theory, math, mathematics, morse, code, cipher, avant, grande, music

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If you haven’t heard of DJ Shadow chances are A) you don’t have clue about underground hip-hop or B) you’ve been living under a rock since the days of Windows 95. I fell in love with Shadow’s music in 1996 when his debut album Endtroducing was released. You can imagine my excitement when word of a new album coming this summer/fall hit my ears. With a little help from the usual sources [wink], I managed to get my grubby little hands on pre-release copy about a week ago. I’ve been incredibly busy lately and just had my first oppurtunity to give it a full listen this morning.

If you’re familiar with Shadow’s work, on his own or in the context U.N.K.L.E with James Levell, you should know what I expected when I loaded the album up in iTunes, instrumental hip-hop experimentation with a touch of turntablism and close attention payed to the collection of brilliant samples. Before I even hit play, I had and inclination that I would be in for a surprise. The album has a list of featured artists that reads like a who’s who of Bay Area MCs. While it is not unheard of for Shadow to grant a guest spot on his album, the number of cameos on this album is new for Shadow. Likewise, the material presented here is a bit of a departure for one of hip hops unamed elite. Shadow typically delivers highly melodic, tightly constructed, trip hop experimentation that focuses on his ability to find samples that no one has ever heard and slice up beats to the point that you’d think there was a live drummer in the room. While Outsider is certainly not devoid of his usual style, it does show Shadow deviating from tested formulas and getting into some styles that are more suited for mainstream hip hop radio that die hard underground fans. A couple of tracks are definiately meant for the Bay Area club scene and others even show Shadow getting into crunk. The Outsider contains enough of his typical style to keep his old school fans, such as myself, interested between the more poppy club tracks and contains some experimentation that makes us question whether we really knew the real Shadow in the first place. The album is all over the place from the afore mentioned crunk featuring David Banner to a guitar driven blues track to an almost out of place punk rock instrumental.

For all its out of diveregence, The Outsider doesn’t disappoint. It is exactly what we should expect from Shadow by now, the unexpected. Its worth a listen for both seasoned Shadow heads and newbies unfamiliar him. 4 STARS

Dowload:
Backstage Girl (Feat. Phonte Coleman)
Broken Levee Blues
Erase You (Feat. Chris James)
Enuff (Feat. Q-Tip & Lateef the Truth Speaker)

Just when I had given up and decided that I was too old for punk rock, I check out the iTunes Music Store and see a brand spanking new album from NOFX staring me in the face. $9.99 and 5 minutes later, I remember why I once quit my job to get drunk and why that still doesn’t seem like a bad idea. (more…)

Seattle-based Pearl Jam has led the way in providing instant online access to each of its concerts, and now legendary ’60s band The Doors is following its path by making about two dozen previously unavailable live concerts available directly to fans.

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