Bobby Long, Recorded Live In Concert

Enlarge courtesy of the artist
Bobby Long.
courtesy of the artist
Bobby Long.
English singer-songwriter Bobby Long has been writing keenly crafted pop songs since he was a teenager, and soon began attending university and performing at open-mic nights alongside future Twilight star Robert Pattinson. That connection paid off, as Long was chosen to perform a song with Pattinson for the film series’ first soundtrack. Click the link above to hear Long perform live in concert from WXPN and World Cafe Live in ...

Alberta Cross On World Cafe

Enlarge Alan Gastelum
Alberta Cross.
Alan Gastelum
Alberta Cross.
Although they hail from London, the members of Alberta Cross have clearly spent their lives soaking up the sounds of American rock music. Whether with thunderous blues guitar or more subdued, rootsy Americana sounds, they produce songs that sound at once contemporary and knowledgeable of the past. Given their decidedly American sound, it’s fitting that Alberta Cross recently relocated to Brooklyn. The band was not there for long, however, before it ...

Live Friday: Bobby Long In Concert

Enlarge courtesy of the artist
Bobby Long.
courtesy of the artist
Bobby Long.
English singer-songwriter Bobby Long has been writing keenly crafted pop songs since he was a teenager, and soon began attending university and performing at open-mic nights alongside future Twilight star Robert Pattinson. That connection paid off, as Long was chosen to perform a song with Pattinson for the film series’ first soundtrack. Return to this space at noon ET Friday to hear Long perform live in concert from WXPN and ...

The Soft Pack On World Cafe

Enlarge Photo courtesy of artist
The Soft Pack
Photo courtesy of artist
The Soft Pack
Tired of the new-wave explosion in their hometown of San Diego, The Soft Pack’s Matt Lamkin and Matty McLoughlin got their begin after deciding to revive old-school grunge rock. Later joined by Dave Lantzman and Brian Hill, the group found a knack for writing easy and catchy tunes that hint at the early New York underground and subtle ’60s California surf-rock.
After changing its name from The Muslims ...

Nicholas Payton: Live At The Village Vanguard

Enlarge John Rogers/johnrogersnyc.com
Nicholas Payton.
John Rogers/johnrogersnyc.com
Nicholas Payton.
Nicholas Payton found his footing in jazz through its hard-swinging main stem, another in a long line of trumpeters from New Orleans to splash onto the scene with superior dexterity. But after he had proved his hard-bop mettle, he took a fork in the road, wending his way through a form of electronic experimentalism and driving with a hip-hop approach. Now that he is in his mid-30s, he seems happy to be seeking a ...

Mark Linkous, A Flawed Hero

Mark Linkous, A Flawed Hero
by Robin Hilton
Anyone who’s suffered from a mental illness will tell you that they spend a lot of time and emotional energy saying “no” to all the wrong impulses. No, life is not as hopelessly gloomy as you think. No, there is not more anguish than joy in the world. No, your life is not without value or purpose. This past Saturday, in the middle of the afternoon, on the first beautifully sunny ...

Patty Larkin: 25 Songs, 25 Friends, 25 Years

Enlarge Jana Leon
Patty Larkin recorded voice and guitar for 25 songs, then let her friends do the rest.
Jana Leon
Patty Larkin recorded voice and guitar for 25 songs, then let her friends do the rest.
Patty Larkin has been called a “contemplative songwriter” and a “whoop-ass guitarist.” She also has a reputation for being “a musician’s musician.” Her new CD is titled 25, a reference to the number of fellow singer-songwriters who appear on it, as well as the number ...

The Jazz Community As A Road Map

The Jazz Community As A Road Map
by Patrick Jarenwattananon
I quite like this lede:
Jazz musicians are kind of like street names — most people only know the huge ones.
You’ve got Main, High and Bechtle, or their respective jazz equivalents Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Kenny G.
It’s a pretty astute analogy. Most people who pass through the jazz community only travel down certain main thoroughfares. But in order for there to be a vibrant community, you need all those side streets, some ...

Sparklehorse Singer Mark Linkous Remembered

Enlarge Barney Britton/Redferns/Getty Images
Mark Linkous’ often pretty melodies contrasted with lyrics that were sometimes dark.
Barney Britton/Redferns/Getty Images
Mark Linkous’ often pretty melodies contrasted with lyrics that were sometimes dark.
Mark Linkous, founder of the acclaimed alternative rock band Sparklehorse, has died. The singer and multi-instrumentalist took his own life Saturday in Knoxville, Tenn. He was 47.
Linkous was the creative force behind Sparklehorse, his recording moniker and band.

Mark Linkous Of Sparklehorse Has Died

Mark Linkous Of Sparklehorse Has Died
by Robin Hilton
Mark Linkous, the voice and imaginative mind behind the psych-folk-rock group Sparklehorse, has committed suicide, Rolling Stone magazine reports.
“It is with great sorrow that we share the news that our dear friend and family member, Mark Linkous, took his own life today,” the singer’s family stated in a statement. “We are thankful for his time with us and will hold him forever in our hearts.

A Quick Tour Through Spring’s Sonic Landscape

A flashback to the 1990s, one huge hug and two songs about divorce. Pop music critic Maura Johnston tells NPR’s Guy Raz what new singles to listen for in the months ahead.
Bettie Serveert, “Deny All” From Pharmacy of Love; release date: March 23
Bettie Serveert is a Dutch band, formed in 1990. They’re one of those bands who were really huge during the first indie rock boom (we’re living in the later indie rock boom) —straightforward, energetic guitar rock with ...

Around The Jazz Internet: Week In Review, Mar. 6, 2010

Around The Jazz Internet: Week In Review, Mar. 6, 2010
by Patrick Jarenwattananon
More suggested reading we did not get around to mentioning:
–Willard Jenkins on Randy Weston’s Uhuru Afrika, an incredible record. (Don’t sleep on Highlife either, though.)
–The story of long-lost out-jazz reedman Giuseppi Logan is rather incredible. Peter Hum lays the basic details, including his turning up as a male model.
–The founder of the genre-crossing, way-East Village club Nublu is putting on a festival in his native Istanbul.

The Woman Behind ‘My Sharona’

John Ganun
Sharona Alperin is now a realtor in West Los Angeles.
Over 30 years ago, a band called The Knack catapulted to stardom with its hit, “My Sharona.” It also made a star out of its muse, a woman named — not surprisingly — Sharona.
The Knack’s lead singer Doug Fieger wrote the song for the then-teenager who would become his girlfriend, Sharona Alperin. Fieger died last month after a battle with lung cancer. Alperin, who stayed friends with him, was one ...

Monday: Live Chat With Broken Bells

Enlarge Courtesy the Artist
Danger Mouse (Brian Burton) at the drums, and James Mercer of The Shins
Courtesy the Artist
Danger Mouse (Brian Burton) at the drums, and James Mercer of The Shins
Join All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen at 11 a.m. ET, Monday, Mar. 8, when he speaks live on-line with Danger Mouse (Brian Burton) and James Mercer (The Shins) about the duo’s new project, Broken Bells. The two will speak about their new, self-titled album, and take questions from ...

Annoying Music For The Academy Awards

Enlarge Gabriel Bouys/Getty Images
Clint Eastwood is better off sticking to film.
Gabriel Bouys/Getty Images
Clint Eastwood is better off sticking to film.
Hollywood is hosting its annual “fight night” Sunday: It’s the 82nd annual Academy Awards. It’s a chance for the town to celebrate its most talented filmmakers, and this year Weekend Edition Saturday is hosting its own award category: Our Oscar for Most Annoying Music Man goes to Jim Nayder. He hosts The Annoying Music Show! on Chicago Public Radio, and ...

Live Friday: Todd Snider In Concert

Enlarge Todd Purifoy
Todd Snider.
Todd Purifoy
Todd Snider.
Though Todd Snider’s roots trace back to Portland, Ore., his music recalls headstrong Southern styles from Austin, Houston and Atlanta. With more than 10 albums under his belt, Snider continues to exude wit and optimism. Return to this space at noon ET Friday to hear him perform live in concert from WXPN and World Cafe Live in Philadelphia.
After moving to Memphis in the 1980s, Snider became a local favorite and later signed to Jimmy ...

Online Music Service Spotify Prepares For U.S. Launch

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Although iTunes is still the Internet’s biggest music retailer, more music is still traded illegally than ever gets sold on iTunes. Now, the huge labels are looking at another way to entice fans into buying music. A lot of buzz is circulating about one service in particular: Spotify. According to Ted Cohen, the company’s former senior VP of Digital Development and Distribution, it’s been a hit with more than 7 million fans overseas.
“Spotify has just completely ...