Back in middle school, Diddy was pretty inescapable, with the grating Biggie tribute "I'll Be Missing You" playing incessantly on the bus and on headphones during study period and lunch; it wouldn't be surprising if you had heard of some junior high, in macabre misunderstanding, using it for its class song at graduation instead of that one by Green Day.
On Oct. 17, 2006, British grime MC Lady Sovereign made history when her video for "Love Me or Hate Me" reached No. 1 on MTV's Total Request Live (TRL). Whether or not hitting No. 1 on TRL is any indication of musical talent or virtuosity, one has to applaud Sov for good timing. With just one week left before the release of her first full-length, "Public Warning," on Def Jam Records, there couldn't have been a better time for her to become the first British artist to top MTV's chart.
Supposedly, Pit Er Pat named their album "Pyramids" for the reappearing pyramid
Under Cover:Artists' SketchbooksAt the Fogg through Oct. 22Harvard University Art Museums32 Quincy Street, Cambridge617-495-9400 A sketchbook can provide an intimate view into the mind of an artist, giving insight into how they prepare their artwork through a different medium. The Fogg's exhibit "Under Cover: Artists' Sketchbooks", on view in the Strauss gallery through Oct. 22, contains pieces from a diverse group of artists, from 18th century Rococo icon Jean-Honor?© Fragonard to contemporary artists like as Henry Moore and Boston's own Jonathan Borofsky.
When people think of modern art, they think of the extremes: abstract paintings and minimalism with little to relate to, save colors and shapes. The Fogg Museum of Harvard University seeks to change that impression with their show, "Nominally Figured: Recent Acquisitions in Contemporary Art."
Right now at the Museum of Fine Arts, no guard will stop you from stepping too close to the artwork. In fact, it's better to bring a magnifying glass, to stand so close you are cross-eyed, dizzied from the intricate detail of "Domains of Wonder: Masterworks of Indian Painting."
Even before listening to it, "The Crane Wife" by The Decemberists is an interesting release. Not only is it the much-anticipated follow-up to 2004's critically and commercially revered "Picaresque," it is also the eccentric Portland quintet's first release on a major label (Capitol Records).
In attempting to be a good critic, many of us journalists try to follow the advice of Lester Bangs in 2000's "Almost Famous" and try to be "honest and unmerciful." However, every once in a while, an album comes along that you just want to give so many stars to that the whole world will listen. The new Roots album, "Game Theory," is a prime example.
These days, it's hard to find anyone who just downright hates John Mayer. He is popular enough to be on "Chappelle's Show" and skilled enough to jam with the legendary likes of Buddy Guy, B.B King, Eric Clapton, and Herbie Hancock. Let's face it: the ladies just love to see those faces he makes while playing guitar.
Monday morning: Hair dryers whir, clock radios blare, breakfast pastries are unwrapped and somewhere, someone, hairbrush in hand, is dancing in his underwear in front of a mirror to The Rapture.
Among the museum-going college students, there are those who will become artists and those who will be art historians, but some are so appreciative, so enthralled with the art they see, that they eventually decide to forge their own personal museum to become collectors, surrounding themselves with the art they love.
When I say, "independent rock from Chicago," you think of Wilco, Bound Stems or perhaps even the Smashing Pumpkins - current faces of indie and a genre pioneer, respectively - as bands who procured and continue to shape the current face of the Chicago rock scene. Chicago-bred five-piece Chin Up Chin Up fits right into the distinctive Midwestern niche with a sound directly reflecting the forefront of independent Chicago music.
Bruce Springsteen said that hearing the opening snare shot of "Like a Rolling Stone" was like the door to his mind being kicked open.
Call it art-core, call it post-hardcore, call the genre whatever you want; Omaha's Cursive has been running that drill for nearly a decade.
It seems common to hate country music just on principle these days. The familiar phrase "anything but country" pops up frequently in the music sections on sites like Facebook and MySpace. Indeed, with popular country artists like Kenny Chesney singing a song titled "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy," it's no wonder that music listeners would immediately be turned off to the genre. Fortunately for those listeners willing to seek out better alternatives, there is good music to be found under the label "country."
This is the type of music that makes you want to celebrate its release like it's the coming of the hip-hop messiah, arriving right on time to remind us of the standards of the golden days.
It has been a long road for Boise's Built to Spill. While nearly all of their Pacific Northwest, grunge-pioneering counterparts have either faded into irrelevance or overdosed on heroin, the permanent trio of Doug Martsch, Scott Plouf and Brett Nelson (recently joined by touring guitarist Jim Roth) have remained relevant post-Nirvana on the strength of broken, sprawling melodies and Martsch's confounding, inspiring, utterly incomparable song writing.
People Magazine, move over: The titillating truths of Kabuki theater rivalry and stardom are on display now at the Museum of Fine Arts! Furtive eyes, wicked grins and extraordinary costumes greet visitors at the "On Stage in Osaka: Actor Prints from the MFA Collection" show.
Warning: do not listen to "Sound the Alarm," Saves The Day's new album, while holding any sharp objects, standing near open windows, or taking a bath with a toaster in reach.
Ever since breaking into the hip-hop scene on North Carolina trio Little Brother's "The Listening" in 2003, prolific producer 9th Wonder has been popping up everywhere, laying down his trademark clever soul sample tracks on albums for local and worldwide legends. In the past few years, 9th has produced two new Little Brother albums, along with albums for Buckshot, Access Immortal, a remix of Nas's "God Son" album entitled "God's Stepson LP," and tracks for Jay-Z, Jean Grae and Memphis Bleek. It appears that hip-hop has found another golden producer with a bright future in 9th Wonder, who consistently pumps out Pete Rock-esque beats reminiscent of the sample-heavy sounds of the early to mid '90s. It's no surprise that he's featured in the title of most of the albums he works on, because all he needs is an emcee with a competent, consistent flow to make a hit record.
