Music Report

Hopefully, dear reader, you got your fill of Jazz last week. The Music Report is dabbling in the classical/instrumental music genre in this edition.

Fortunately, this classical music breaks the Dead White European Male mold by drawing its inspiration from pop, rock and “world music.” John Luther Adams’ Red Arc/Blue Veil, blends piano, vibraphone, percussion and electronically-generated sounds in creating vast yet understated soundscapes. Moreover, it comes recommended by The New Yorker and Timeout NY, in addition to the weekly Music Report.
http://www.johnlutheradams.com/

Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians sounds as if it might be an intro to an up-tempo rock song but mesmerizing stretches into the album’s entirety. Steve Reich’s composition Different Trains, 1989 Grammy winner for Best Contemporary Classical Composition, uses recorded speech as a source of its melodies. Different Trains will be performed as part of the Tribeca New Music Festival (slogan “Nothing is too new or unusual”) on Wednesday, May 7 at the Flea Theater, 41 White Street.
http://www.stevereich.com/
http://www.nyae.org/Pages/page22.html; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Different_Trains

Tonight, the Julliard Orchestra plays the best student compositions. Perhaps most interesting is
the debut of Jakub Ciupiński’s DJ Guillaume, his piece based on the art of remixing. Tickets are
free.
http://www.juilliard.edu/asp/calendar/event1.php?intEvID=-1999910515

This week saw the release of Grant Theft Auto IV, which brings the game into a virtual New York City (Liberty City) with a radio dial full of stations each packed with legit music and recognizable DJs including Karl Lagerfeld, DJ Premier and Iggy Pop. A pair of notable inclusions on the soundtrack are Get Shakes, who play the type of upbeat electronic indie music that so frequently seems to make its way into the report are also featured on the soundtrack recently released movie 21, and Tom Vek, a British multi-instrumental soloist who brings nothing if not simple energetic, hard hitting rock.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Theft_Auto_IV_soundtrack
http://www.myspace.com/getshakes
http://www.tomvek.tv/

For those with a lighter appetite interested in fluffier lo-fi British tunes, Bearsuit is it. The music of the six piece group, hailing from Norwich, UK, has drawn descriptions such as shimmering, sweet and melodious. Popular comparisons include Belle & Sebastian and Architecture in Helsinki. See also side project Keytarded, an all keytar, all covers threesome.
http://www.myspace.com/bearsuit
http://www.myspace.com/keytardedband

This week, The Roots released another fine album which will be overrated by critics and underrated by music fans. Rising Down gets more political than prior records as it considers global warming, martyrdom, child soldiering, race and poverty with just a couple of few lighter-hearted exceptions. In the midst of its social commentary, Rising Down reminds listeners of Black Thought’s position among today’s top MCs. The Roots play Radio City Music Hall with Erykah Badu Friday, May 9th.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000ZK08HK