Meshing traditional Japanese sounds with rock, folk, neoclassical, film scores, and more, the shamisen-wielding Yoshida Brothers combine the East and West in dynamic ways.
The duo’s new album, Prism, furthers the dynamism with a group of originals and a group of covers, the latter of which includes Radiohead‘s “The National Anthem.”
Deirde Timmons, the director of burlesque documentary A Wink and a Smile, is interviewed by burlesque performer and columnist Jo Weldon to discuss filming first-time strippers, the liberation of burlesque performance, and making her first feature-length film.
Seemingly out of an introductory class on black-and-white photography, the video for “Prepare Your Coffin” is an aesthetically pleasant visual accompiment for the second song on Beacons of Ancestorship, the upcoming new album from Tortoise.
Rising to prominence in the late 1970s, Nigerian singer/songwriter King Sunny Ade made a name for himself by combining pedal-steel guitar and other Western sound with the traditional pop of his homeland.
Inspired less by drummers and more by instrumentalists such as John Coltrane, Jimi Hendrix, and Ornette Coleman, drumming virtuoso Zach Hill begins his journey as a bandleader with Astrological Straits.
It’s a great few days for metal in Chicago as Mastodon, Converge, Kylesa, and Russian Circles each performs new material.
Fans of softer fare have great options as well as hip-hop producer Peanut Butter Wolf, chicha enthusiasts Chicha Libre, and post-jazz/jam guitarist Charlie Hunter hit town.
With a history that has spanned Indian, Persian, surf, metal, spaghetti western, and electronic music — and so much more — Trey Spruance‘s unparalleled Secret Chiefs 3 is releasing a new album in late May, this time inspired by the Italian giallo horror/erotica films of the 1960s and ’70s.
The first feature-length film score from musical maven Mike Patton winds through high-intensity electro-rock, shifting from track to track with spaghetti western, film noir, and kung-fu elements.
This exceptional work conjures up many different visuals for the listener, and it may be best experienced before seeing the film.
The Dillinger Escape Plan begins recording a new album in July; El Grupo Nuevo de Omar Rodriguez Lopez and Madvillain post tracks; Sunny Day Real Estate is rumored to be reuniting; Steve Reich wins a Pulitzer. Keep reading in the roundup.
This weekend, we’ll be sure not to miss the unadulterated force of Coalesce as the hardcore four-piece readies its first full-length album in 10 years.
We’ll also catch indie rapper Sole, rapid-fire bluegrass sextet Hackensaw Boys…and a few Bulls/Celtics basketball games, which have ravaged the emotions of ALARM founder Chris Force.
Element Skateboards and Odd Nosdam strayed from the norm with the skateboarding video This is My Element, featuring instrumental hip hop that takes into account the skaters’ tricks, nuances, and personality, resulting in a mesmerizing accompaniment.