It’s hard to believe that Charles Bradley’s debut album No Time for Dreaming was released in 2011. As soon as the first track “The World (Is Going Up In Flames)” hits your ears, the sound of 1960′s soul is immediate. Bradley’s voice is reminiscent of the gritty, pining voices of Otis Redding and Percy Sledge. Yet unlike these artists, Bradley got his big break in 2002 at the age of 54, while the others hit big in the 1960′s while in their late twenties. In some ways, this late break gives Bradley the opportunity to incorporate his entire life story into his work, whether he sings of true love in “Lovin’ You, Baby” or his life long struggles in “Why Is It So Hard?”. A must listen for any lover of soul and blues.
In 2002, Tom Waits released Blood Money along with Alice. Both albums are based off of plays that were adapted by theater director, Robert Wilson. Blood Money is based off the socio, political play called “Woyzeck”, which was originally written by the German poet, Georg Buchner in 1837. The premise of the play revolves around a true story of a German soldier who is driven to insanity by strange army medical experiments and problems with infidelity, which ultimately drove him to murder his lover. The songs that Waits wrote with his wife, Kathleen Brennan, were for an avant-garde production of “Woyzeck”, which was directed by Robert Wilson. The play was premiered in November 200 at the Betty Nansen Theater in Copenhagen, which won the Danish rendition of the Tony award for “Best Musical”.
Can’t get enough end-of-the-year lists? Thought so. Here’s the “Best of 2011″ by former DJ Sexxx Luther and former Music Director Matthew Lionel Orenstein of their blog Bathroom On The Right:
Now seems to be as good a time as any to look back on the year in music that was. Best-of lists can be divisive things — I never agree with anyone else’s, most likely no one will agree with mine. The hope here is that you’ll check out some of these records that you haven’t yet. So, here’s my two cents.
1 AVEY TARE Down There 2 TOM WAITS Bad As Me 3 THEE OH SEES Carrion Crawler/The Dream [EP] 4 SLOW CLUB Paradise 5 BEACH BOYS The Smile Sessions 6 REAL ESTATE Days 7 M83 Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming 8 ATLAS SOUND Parallax 9 KATE BUSH 50 Words For Snow 10 NEIL YOUNG Harvest 11 DIRTY PROJECTORS AND BJORK Mount Wittenberg Orca 12 BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN born in the u.s.a 13 MAGNETITIC FIELDS 69 love songs 14 JOHN MAUS We Must Become The Pitiless Censors Of Ourselves 15 HANK WILLIAMS lovesick blues 16 ARCADE FIRE The Suburbs 17 TYCHO Dive Ghostly 18 STILL CORNERS Creatures Of An Hour 19 WISE BLOOD These Wings [EP] 20 GIRLS Father, Son, Holy Ghost 21 JOAKIM Nothing Gold 22 ST. VINCENT Strange Mercy 23 R.E.M. Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage: 1982-2011 24 TWIN SISTER In Heaven 25 BJORK Biophilia 26 FRIENDS College Sampler 27 TY SEGALL Singles 2007-2010 28 JUSTICE Audio, Video, Disco 29 OLOF ARNALDS Olof Sings 30 SUMMER CAMP Welcome To Condale
As the last album to feature founding member and drummer, Bill Berry, New Adventures in Hi-Fi, released in 1996, has the most diverse set of songs by R.E.M. The process of the album is unusual in that most the songs were written while R.E.M. was on tour for their 1994 album, Monster, and were recorded live with eight-track recorders. As a result, most of the album centralizes itself on themes of motion and travel. This album mixes the country sound found in their previous albums, Out of Time and Automatic for the People, with more of a rock feel found on Monster and Lifes Rich Pageant. I believe that although critics had mixed dispositions about the album, New Adventures in Hi Fi is one of R.E.M.’s best efforts, especially from the 1990s.
The album begins with the pleasant groove of “How The West Was Won and Where It Got Us”. This is probably the catchiest tune from the album with its highly recognizable and memorable piano staccato riff. Michael Stipe’s yell at the end of each chorus gives the song most of its power. The next song takes the listener to a fast pace run with “The Wake-Up Bomb”. It carries itself with a hard rock guitar riff. “New Test Leper” plays with religious themes with more of an acoustic sound. The band takes another turn to a light groove with “Undertow”. The bass carries this song as the guitar riff guides it towards its climatic chorus. This song also uses religious references that are subtle, in which Stipe contemplates about life. The chorus is surprisingly in a major key as Stipe yells “I’m drowning….” The most well-known song off this album is “E-Bow The Letter” and for a good reason. It is one of the most charming tracks from the album with Patti Smith featured as a guest vocalist behind Stipe’s echoes of sadness. Read More →
On November 13th, Shahida Nurullah performed live in front of a full house in Afrikan Heritage House’s Lord Lounge. The event was organized as a part of Kuumba Week, a celebration of the arts and culture of the Oberlin Africana community organized by the MRC. Shahida Naurullah, a veteran Jazz vocalist and native of Detroit, was accompanied by the Oberlin Jazz Ensemble directed by Dennis Reynolds. The two-hour event was hosted by longtime WOBC DJ Meeko Israel and broadcast live on The World Famous Meeko Show. The event was the first live broadcast on WOBC this year. -Will Floyd
Yet unlike these artists, Bradley got his big break in 2002 at the age of 54, while the others hit big in the 1960′s while in their late twenties. In some ways, this late break gives Bradley the opportunity to incorporate his entire life story into his work, whether he sings of true love in “Lovin’ You, Baby” or his life long struggles in “Why Is It So Hard?”. A must listen for any lover of soul and blues.
