London, City, Summer? (Free subscription) | 11/06/2009
Following my last round of CD purchases , I've found something rather amazing. I'm a big fan of Michael Nyman's music; in this collaboration David McAlmont has turned Nyman's music to song. The result is extraordinary - The Glare in which McAlmont explores subjects as varied as 21st century piracy (‘Going to America’), trafficked prostitution in Europe (‘City of Turin’), sexually-charged...
The Project76 Blog (Free subscription) | 10/29/2009
I think my Album Of The Year has just been decided, after playing a certain new release dozens of times since it came through my letter box on Tuesday. I'm not surprised though, as the idea of David McAlmont writing songs to Michael Nyman pieces sounded like the kind of bloody mad but fantastic idea that I would go for. There are a handful of artists who I will buy blindly due them being that good...
XO's Middle Eight (Free subscription) | 10/07/2009
Michael Nyman and David McAlmont First, the quote: Aging homosexuals standing around in tight muscle t-shirts, talking about the latest DJs, need to go be given a copy of “Death In Venice” And now the news: David McAlmont and the composer Michael Nyman have recorded an album together. Like a bolt out of the blue, it's released on October 26 and is called The Glare (which comes from a song...
The Guardian Music blog (Free subscription) | 09/29/2009
If the Radiohead frontman wants to recreate his Eraser album live, then the Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist is the man to help him – despite being famous for wearing a sock over his penis We seem to be entering an era of peculiar collaborations. Former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr has joined forces first with American leftfield rockers Modest Mouse and now Wakefield indie shouters the Cribs. Velvet-voiced...
b3mp (Bachini-Bennet-Bonner-Martin-Phillips) (Free subscription) | 09/19/2009
Tim and I went to this on the Isle of Wight and what a fantastic weekend, the weather was sunny so it was t-shirts until 11 at night. I should've taken a camera I know but I got a couple on the phone. Kraftwerk were amazing, second time I've seen them and it was far better as it was so loud. Other bands included MGMT, Soulwax, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Michael Nyman, Seasick Steve, Lily Allen, Klaxons,...
DUMMY (Free subscription) | 09/10/2009
Bestival fever is rising so here are just a few of the bits we'll gonna spend Friday and Saturday running across fields for. (As well as practising the art of being in 3 places at once.) Yes, we could catch lots of them in London but there ain't nothing like good sounds in a sunshine-filled (please) field. There's loads more good stuff on Sunday (including The Big Pink, Michael Nyman, Delphic, Bastila...
rickwebb.net (Free subscription) | 08/05/2009
Gerard did 50, and Mike did 20, and both tagged me, so I'm going for 70. OK, here are the rules. Test your memory and your love of live music by listing 50 artists or bands (or as many as you can remember) you've seen in concert. List the first 50 acts that come into your head. An act you saw at a festival and opening acts count, but only if you can't think of 50 other artists. Should you choose this...
Line Out (Free subscription) | 07/20/2009
This new album hit me hard out of nowhere. Brash, spiky, chaotic yet somehow precise, full of textures rarely heard in any genre, Patterkiller 's New Sunrise is like some mutant strain of industrial breakcore jazz. Think Art of Noise collaborating with Venetian Snares, as John Zorn orchestrates . And then think some more about how unlikely this combo is. The musician behind it is Michael Dwyer , who...
The One-Line Review (Free subscription) | 07/20/2009
UK/Netherlands Feature Film Writer/Director: Peter Greenaway Cinematographer: Sacha Vierny Composer: Michael Nyman Cast: Andréa Ferréol, Brian Deacon, Eric Deacon, Frances Barber, Joss Ackland, Jim Davidson, Agnès Brulet, David Attenborough Iconoclastic filmmaker Greenaway’s most enjoyable and accomplished work - a blackly comic, beautifully revolting, and revoltingly beautiful...
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